Ouzo Char-grilled Octopus - Chef Recipe by Philip N Vakos

Ingredients

1 octopus
1 bunch of oregano
1 bottle of Ouzo
1 lemon, juiced
Good quality olive oil

Method

Make sure the octopus is tenderised, otherwise you will have a decent 3-4 hour job on your hands.

Remove the tentacles from the octopus and peel off the skin and membrane, start from the smallest part moving along to the thickest part. Use your thumb and forefinger to remove the skin, by pinching at the end of the tentacle and peeling back towards the base.

Pre-heat your BBQ until smoking hot. Sear the octopus for 2-3 minutes each side, and allow to rest. Drizzle the octopus with some olive oil, ouzo and place back onto the BBQ to complete the cooking process. When the octopus is fully cooked, you will notice a clear liquid leaving the tentacles.

To Serve:

Remove and slice into 1cm-2cm pieces. Finish with oregano, lemon juice and olive oil. Serve the octopus with a glass of Ouzo on ice, close your eyes and imagine you are by the sea on a Greek Island.

Equipment

Barbeque.

Recipe provided by Bahari The Hellenic Palate