Roasted Octopus with Celery
Prep
20 mins
Cook
45 mins
Servings
4
Difficulty
Medium
Tender, succulent octopus paired with caramelized celery, finished with garlic-infused olive oil and bright lemon. A Mediterranean-inspired dish that's elegant yet simple.
Ella x
Ingredients
- 1 kgoctopus(cleaned and tentacles separated)
- 6celery stalks(cut into 2-inch pieces)
- 6 tbspolive oil
- 5garlic cloves(thinly sliced)
- 2lemon(one juiced, one cut into wedges)
- 1½ tspsea salt
- ½ tspblack pepper(freshly ground)
- 118 mldry white wine
- 3 sprigsfresh thyme
- ¼ tspred pepper flakes
- 1bay leaf
- 237 mlvegetable broth
Detail level
Instructions
- 1
Blanch the octopus in salted boiling water with a bay leaf for 30 minutes until the thickest part is tender when pierced. Drain and let cool slightly, then cut tentacles into 2-inch pieces.
Tip: Blanching first removes excess slime and helps tenderize the octopus before roasting.
- 2
Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Arrange celery pieces on a large baking sheet and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- 3
Roast celery for 15 minutes until it begins to caramelize at the edges. Stir halfway through.
Tip: Don't skip this step - caramelized celery develops deep, sweet flavors.
- 4
Push celery to the sides of the sheet. In the center, combine octopus pieces with remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil, sliced garlic, lemon juice, thyme, and red pepper flakes.
- 5
Pour white wine and vegetable broth around the octopus. Season everything with additional salt and pepper to taste.
- 6
Return to oven and roast for 12-15 minutes until the octopus is lightly golden and the celery is tender and caramelized.
Tip: Watch that the garlic doesn't burn; it should be golden, not dark brown.
- 7
Transfer to a serving platter, ensuring octopus and celery are well combined. Drizzle any pan juices over the top.
- 8
Garnish with fresh lemon wedges and a light sprinkle of fleur de sel. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Tip: This dish is wonderful served slightly warm with crusty bread to soak up the flavorful juices.
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