Before prices start to rise like crazy for the upcoming holidays, it's a good idea to go ahead and save some money by buying products now that we can freeze for those Christmas dinners. Like octopus, a star of Christmas tables that we can easily buy fresh and freeze at home.
How to freeze fresh octopus
To freeze it, it is best to clean it well beforehand (with emphasis on the tentacles that may have a little more dirt) and package it in an airtight bag or tupperware suitable for freezing. If it can be vacuum, the better. To clean, you have to turn the head, gut it and then remove the beak and eyes, as this fishmonger explains:
@pescaderotiktokero HOW TO CLEAN AN OCTOPUS TO COOK IT LIKE A PROFESSIONAL Today I show you step by step how to clean a good octopus (Octopus vulgaris), which you already know… first it is cooked, and then if you want, you can grill it 😋 Nothing to complicate: with a couple of tricks you leave it perfect for a “Galician-style octopus” or a luxury stir-fry. 📍 Calle Martínez Maldonado 75, Málaga 📦 Home delivery only in Málaga capital. 📲 Write me privately for more information. 🐟 @pescaderiapacomalaga #elpescaderodetiktok #pescaderotiktokero #elpescadero #pescadería #pulpo #octopusvulgaris #malaga #pescadofresco #pescaderiaenmálaga #pulpoalagallega #pulpoalaplancha #recetadepescado #seafood #fishcleaning #pescaderomalagueño
♬ original sound – EL PESCADERO DE TIKTOK
Once clean and in the tightly closed container, we can freeze without problem. Frozen octopus lasts up to six months in the freezer, as long as the temperature remains constant at -18C or less as indicated by the Spanish Agency for Consumer Affairs, Food Safety and Nutrition (AECOSAN). Additionally, foods that have been frozen and thawed should not be refrozen unless cooked at above 70ºC for at least two minutes.
By freezing the octopus for at least three days, or buying it already frozen, what we achieve is breaking down the fibers and softening it. When cooked it will be much more tender without having to resort to hitting the stones that were once used to soften the muscle. “In the slow freezing and thawing process in the refrigerator, the octopus is perfect,” Chef Paco Gómez explained to Directo al Paladar.
Here's another trick and that is that frozen octopus is not cooked directly, it must be defrosted first. Defrosting at room temperature is not recommended and it is best to do so in the refrigerator in a large bowl or pot for a day. We throw away any water that is released during the defrosting process.
How to cook a frozen octopus
To cook it, the process is very simple. Once the octopus has been thawed and drained, we put a large saucepan with water at maximum power and always wait for it to come to a boil. The water does not contain salt, we are going to cook it in water without anything. When the water boils, we scare the octopus, that is, we are going to put the octopus in and out of the saucepan three times, holding it with tongs so as not to burn ourselves. This way the legs will not take on strange shapes, it will cook better and the skin will stay attached.
As Paco Gómez explained, for a small or medium octopus weighing up to three kilos, the times are “15 minutes in boiling water over high heat and another 20 minutes with the heat at minimum, almost without boiling.” Then we check if it is cooked by piercing one of the tentacles with a toothpick or skewer. If it offers a lot of resistance, we leave it for a few more minutes. Once cooked, let it cool in the saucepan itself so that it cools little by little. A master trick: save the cooking water. It will help you make rice or any legume stew, such as lentils with octopus.
Easy recipes with octopus
With this cooked octopus we can prepare everything from the classic octopus a feira or Galician-style octopus to chickpeas with octopus so comforting that it seems like they give you a hug. There are also great beans with octopus and piparras that are perfect for enjoying a spoonful as the canons dictate, or an octopus a lagareiro, a traditional seafood recipe from Portuguese cuisine with potatoes. It is also perfect for making scrambled eggs with octopus, but for me the easiest and tastiest recipe is another.
I don't know if you've ever tried to make grilled octopus, but I had a friend who called it “the sea torreznos” because the ends of the legs are crispy. You just need to add a good splash of olive oil to a very hot pan and add the legs one by one as you would with a chicken fillet. You are going to turn them until they are golden brown and only at the end, you will add flaked salt. You can serve it over mashed potatoes as they do in the original Directo al Paladar recipe, with a light hummus or with some cooked potatoes. The result is spectacular.
