Grilled Spiced Octopus #BBQWeek

This week, Ellen of Family Around the Table and Christie of A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures have us sharing recipes for the grill. This is one of my favorite blogging weeks of the year! I love prepping food and handing it off to Jake to grill for me.

• Best Biscuits for a BBQ by Daily Dish Recipes
• Brazilian Steak Kabobs by Sweet Beginnings
• Chocolate Chip Ice Cream with Crushed Oreos by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Creamy Coleslaw by Food Above Gold
• Deviled Eggs with Capers and Dill by Palatable Pastime
• Grilled Italian Sausage Kabobs by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Grilled Loaded Redskin Potatoes by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Grilled Spiced Octopus by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Herb Grilled Lobster Tail by Family Around the Table
• Israeli Veggie Salad by Cookaholic Wife
• Southwestern Potato Salad by The Freshman Cook
• Strawberry Salad with Mojito Vinaigrette by Jolene's Recipe Journal

Grilled Spiced Octopus

Grilled octopus is something that I first tried in college when one of my philosophy TAs invited us over to his house for a barbeque. He pulled the octopus out of bucket and tossed it on the grill. I was in love...with the dish, not the TA! Just wanted to be clear.

It does take time as the octopus is braised, then marinated before it's grilled just before serving. But, I think, it's worth the effort!

Ingredients

• one 5 to 6 lb. octopus, beak removed
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 C sake
• 1 C fish stock (or vegetable stock)
• 2 C water
• 2 garlic cloves
• one 1” knob fresh ginger, peeled
• 2 T hot chile paste
• 2 t coriander seeds
• 2 T fish sauce
• 2 T gluten-free soy sauce or tamari
• 1 T freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 T unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1 T toasted sesame oil
• Also needed: grill or a grill pan

Procedure

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or heavy lidded pot. Add garlic, ginger, chile paste, and coriander seeds, cooking until fragrant, approximately 3 minutes. Add fish sauce, gluten-free soy sauce, lime juice, vinegar, sake, and stock. Pour in 2 C water and bring to a boil.

Add octopus to liquid, reduce heat, and partially cover pot. Simmer gently, turning octopus occasionally, until flesh is tender enough to cut with a spoon, approximately 90 minutes. 

Pour sesame oil into the cooking liquid. Let both the octopus and the liquid cool. Then pour the liquid over the octopus in a dish with a lid and marinate in the refrigerator overnight, or at least 4 hours. Bring the octopus to room temperature before cooking. While the octopus is warming, start the grill.

Slice the octopus into large pieces - I like to keep the tentacles mostly intact and cut the body into 2" cubes or so. 

Grill to get nice char marks on the octopus. Serve with a dipping sauce of your choice.