This thing doesn't look very appetizing. Plain ugly even tbh. But it's been a while that Saila pressured me do do an octopussy on the "barbie". So, 2 days ago when we were at K-Citymarket Sello's fishmonger facing this thing, I couldn't dodge her wish any longer.
So, before to be put to the grill, the damn thing must be pre-cooked first. Boiled for 45min. in water with bay leaves, black pepper corns and a few pieces of lemon.
The tentacles have been peeled of excess skin and chopped, then put to marinate for approx. 30min. in a mixture of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic puree, dry oregano powder and salt. And now on a very hot grill until they become nicely chared. Not too long tough or they would become as appetizing as an old tyre.
To go along, a few boiled new potatoes put on skewers, rubbed with the octopussy's marinade and grilled for a few minutes until the skin becomes crispy.
The final result: the tentacles have been cut in chunks, liberally sprinkled with olive oil, lemon juice, dry oregano and rock salt. A dry withe wine with a hint of minerality is the best choice for this dish (greek Retsina if you want absolutely play local - not our favorite). Gotta say, looks the part and taste great... only if you're ready to put in some serious work. As for me, I think I'm gonna stick to the nearby greek tavern. And you can break the plates, which you can't do home.
