Grilled Octopus

Octopus is a family favorite. And my favorite wine to pair with it is Rosé.

When I wanted to pair a Chilean Carménère Rosé for an upcoming event, I braised and grilled one octopus and served it three ways. Here's what I did...

Ingredients

• one 5 to 6 pound octopus, beak removed

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil

• 2 garlic cloves

• one 1-inch knob fresh ginger, peeled

• 2 Tablespoons hot chile paste

• 2 teaspoons coriander seeds

• 2 Tablespoons fish sauce

• 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

• 1 Tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar

• 1 cup sake

• 1 cup fish stock (or vegetable stock)

• 2 cups water

• 1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil

• Also needed: grill pan (I like cast iron) or an actual grill

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, lime juice, vinegar, sake, and stock. Pour in 2 cups 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 60 to 70 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. Bring the octopus to room temperature before cooking.

Heat a large skillet or a grill pan, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat. 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.