My first direct octopus experience paved the way for a second the very next night (Sunday). A substantial half of the octopus remained in the fridge for use… (a 3kg octopus feeds around 9 people as a main course, fyi!)
Mandy had some reservations regarding the initial look of dinner in its uncooked state (she is the unlucky friend I invited to join us). ;-)
All turned out well, however.
We had a jolly time manning the barbeque, Dad, Mandy and me, cooking zucchini and eggplant slices, mushrooms, veal with lemon & herbs, and of course, the octopus (recipe courtesy Tessa Kiros’ “Falling Cloudberries”):
#45 Grilled Octopus with Oregano – Page 88
This required barbequing the octopus whole, then cutting it into smaller chunks, quickly pouring a simple dressing over it, and serving it immediately.
When we finally sat down to dinner, we were in for a pleasant surprise too – Dad’s rosemary & raisin bread… which I would have been happy melting into for the rest of the year. Yes, it was bloody delicious.
Thoughts on cooking octopus: watching octopus cook is pretty spectacular – it’s almost like watching a sunrise, as the grey slowly brightens up by several shades until it is a beautiful rosy pink. It’s easy to cook, and doesn’t take too long.
Thoughts on eating octopus: it is nice and sweet even on its own, a spectacular variety of seafood. Its appearance can be a little unsettling though, if you stare too long at the tentacles…
I really like both of these recipes from Tessa’s book!
I forgot to bring my camera USB cable back with me, so pictures will have to wait…… I will upload them when I can!
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treehousekitchen 
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