How to cook octopus sous vide

How to cook octopus sous vide

How to cook octopus sous vide

by Great British Chefs3 November 2015

How to cook octopus sous vide

Even the most skilled chefs can find it difficult to achieve a tender yet moist result when cooking octopus. Not enough time in the pan or too high a temperature are common problems encountered with conventional cooking methods but with sous vide cooking, the time and temperature are precise and consistent ensuring perfect results every time.

To prepare octopus for cooking, watch our helpful How to section an octopus video for step-by-step instructions.

1
Preheat the water bath to 78°C
2
Prepare the octopus, discarding the head. Wash the tentacles very well in cold water
3
Season the tentacles and place them in a vacuum bag with a little olive oil.
4
Seal the bag and place it in the preheated water bath for 5 hours
5
Remove the octopus from the bag and dry on kitchen paper
6
If you do not wish to use the octopus straightaway, leave it in the bag and chill in iced water. Reserve in the fridge for up to 3 days

Variations

Octopus takes on any flavours added to the bag and stands up to bold flavours so feel free to be adventurous. Why not try a Thai spice combination or reduced red wine and rosemary.

Serving suggestions

Steven Smith serves his Octopus with scallop and lobster wontons, cherries and pink fir potatoes while Michael Wignall’s Octopus terrine with langoustine taramasalata and cucumber is intricate and not for the faint hearted.

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