Don’t Fear the Tentacles and Make This Garlicky Confit Octopus

Photo by Brayden Olson.

As we’re certain any true lover of the ocean’s bounty is aware, there are as many surefire methods of ensuring an octopus is perfectly tender as there are cephalopods in the sea. Whether you’re throwing a wine cork in with your poaching octopus, rubbing the thing with freshly grated daikon, or embracing your inner barbarism and repeatedly smashing its limp body over some Aegean rocks, many cooks have offered up their two cents when it comes to the age-old quest for a perfectly tender invertebrate.

Fortunately for you, we’re here today to tell you to reject, wholeheartedly, all that noise. Confit your octopus in some luscious olive oil instead.

Farideh Sadeghin, the culinary director here at MUNCHIES, says, “What you really should be doing is gently cooking it in olive oil for the most kickass flavor.” And that’s precisely what her recipe for confit octopus salad is: kickass.

After all, what could be wrong with gently cooking some fresh octopus in olive oil speckled with garlic and oregano, and then tossing the result with celery, onion, and chickpeas?

In the sage words of Farideh, “Olive-oil poaching is the best fucking thing ever.”