Grilled Octopus with Roasted Potatoes

Three grilled octopus legs in pool of preserved lemon vinaigrette

5 from 3 votes

Grilled Octopus with Roasted Potatoes

Tender grilled octopus with roasted fingerling potatoes, salad greens, and preserved lemon vinaigrette. Start with pre-cooked octopus legs for an easier Spanish-style grilled octopus.

Prep Time20

Cook Time8

Total Time28

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: Grilled Octopus, grilled octopus legs, spanish grilled octopus

Servings: Servings

Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

1 pound octopus legs pre-cooked, frozen/vacuum packed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 ½ pounds fingerling potatoes
salad greens
3 tablespoons Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette
Salt and pepper

Instructions

For the Octopus Legs:

Thaw the octopus legs in the refrigerator in it’s vacuum-sealed package. Allow 5-6 hours per pound, or overnight. When ready to serve, remove it from the package and rinse under cool water.
Pat the octopus legs with paper towels to remove excess water. Place on a plate, brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Reserve while preparing the grill.

For the Roasted Fingerling Potatoes:

Heat the grill to 450°F. Let it preheat for about 15 minutes to get the grill grates hot. If you are using a pellet grill, Oak wood pellets are great with octopus and potatoes.
Scrub the potatoes and pat dry with paper towels. Place on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes until tender.

Grill the Octopus Legs:

When the potatoes finish, increase the heat on your grill to high heat at about 475°F to 500°F. Close the lid and let the grill grates heat up for about 5 to 10 minutes.
Place the octopus on the hot grill grates and cook for a few minutes on both sides until the octopus is well browned, but still remains moist, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
To Serve: Transfer the octopus to a cutting board, cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces, and arrange on serving plates with roasted fingerlings and salad greens.
Drizzle preserved lemon vinaigrette over each serving and garnish with lemon wedges.

Notes

Thaw frozen, pre-cooked octopus in the refrigerator while it is still sealed in its vacuum package. Place it on a plate or shallow dish to catch any condensation. Allow about 5 to 6 hours per pound, or thaw it overnight.

Dry Before Grilling: Rinse the thawed octopus under cold water and pat it very dry with paper towels. A dry surface helps it brown and develop better char on the grill.

Buying Pre-Cooked Octopus: If purchasing fresh (not frozen) pre-cooked octopus from a seafood market, look for firm, dark purple skin with white flesh and a clean, briny smell. Avoid octopus that has a strong fishy odor.

Nutrition