Zuks Grilled Octopus Salad | Cookstr.com

Learn how to make octopus salad with this recipe for the classic Mediterranean dish.

Updated February 28, 2022

This image courtesy of Joseph DeLeo

Editor’s Note: Expand your seafood horizons with this recipe for Zuk’s Grilled Octopus Salad. Poached, marinated octopus is grilled and combined with arugula and basil to make this flavorful salad. Once you try this marinated octopus salad recipe it is sure to become a go-to for special occasions.

Glenn Lozuke, the chef de cuisine at Magnolia Grill in Durham, North Carolina, is originally from New Jersey, where he grew up eating octopus and home-cured meats. This is, hands down, the best grilled octopus I have eaten anywhere in this country. Poaching is the key to tenderness in this preparation, along with the acidity of the marinade. No beating the octopus with a stick to tenderize, as it is sometimes done in the Mediterranean.

Serves4 to 6

Cooking MethodGrilling, Poaching

OccasionCasual Dinner Party

Dietary ConsiderationEgg-free, Gluten-free, Halal, Kosher, Peanut Free, Soy Free, Tree Nut Free

Taste and TextureHerby, Tangy

Ingredients

For the poaching liquid:
3 quarts water
2 tablespoons fennel seeds
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 tablespoon anise seeds
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons salt
5 bay leaves
1 stalk celery, broken in half
8 cloves garlic, peeled
4 pounds frozen cleaned octopus, defrosted
For the octopus marinade:
4 cloves garlic, crushed
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves, crushed
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/3 cup olive oil
1 lemon, zest removed with a vegetable peeler and coarsely chopped
For the salad:
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
¼ cup white balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and chopped
10 Kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons golden raisins, plumped in hot water for 20 minutes and drained
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups arugula
1 cup tom radicchio
8 tom fresh basil leaves

Instructions

Combine the poaching liquid ingredients in a large stockpot and bring to a boil. Add the octopus, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until tender, 1 to 1½ hours. The meat is done when you can cut the thickest part of the tentacle with a butter knife. Remove from the poaching liquid and let the octopus cool for 15 minutes. Using your hands or a clean dishtowel, remove all the skin.
Combine the marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the octopus, tossing to coat. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour.
Combine the oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, capers, olives, and raisins in a medium bowl. Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Light a charcoal fire or preheat your gas grill on high. Oil the grill’s cooking surface.
Remove the octopus from the marinade, letting the excess drain back into the bowl. Discard the marinade. Season the octopus with salt and pepper and place on the grill. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes total, turning so that all the sides get slightly golden and crispy.
Remove to a cutting board, then cut the tentacles at an angle into ½-inch-thick pieces. Toss with the salad dressing. Add the arugula, radicchio, and basil, tossing well to combine. Serve immediately.

2007 Fred Thompson