Complete Guide to Cleaning Fresh Baby Octopus (Jukkumi) Full of Roe
Complete Guide to Cleaning Fresh Baby Octopus (Jukkumi) Full of Roe
How to Easily and Neatly Prepare Baby Octopus at Home
A spring delicacy, baby octopus packed with roe! Don’t worry about the seemingly complex preparation process; I’ll guide you through it in a friendly and detailed manner so anyone can follow. Enjoy tender and delicious fresh baby octopus!
Ingredients for Baby Octopus Preparation- 1 pack of fresh baby octopus
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Carefully examine the head of the baby octopus. The part connected to the tentacles is relatively firm, but the back has a gap that allows the head to separate easily. This is a common characteristic found in cephalopods like squid, octopus, and small-spotted flatfish.
Step 2
Insert your finger into the gap at the back of the head and turn the head inside out. You’ll see the internal organs. Wow! I’m lucky! My baby octopus is full of large roe. This roe is a real delicacy! You can leave the roe and just remove the internal organs. I chose to carefully separate the roe first, then meticulously clean out the internal organs.
Step 3
Once all the internal organs are removed, the inside of the baby octopus head will be clean like this. Shall we move on to the next step?
Step 4
Now, it’s time to remove the ‘mouth’ of the baby octopus. If you look closely at the tentacles, there’s a part that might look like a backside, but it’s actually the mouth! Some people mistake it for the backside, so I’m clarifying for you. 🙂
Step 5
Press this mouth area firmly with both thumbs. The mouth will pop out with a little push. It’s this simple to remove the mouth.
Step 6
Finally, let’s remove the eyes. While it’s perfectly fine to cook them with the eyes intact, I prefer to remove them for a cleaner texture. Carefully cut off the round eyes located at the front of the head with scissors. Be cautious, as they can burst if cut improperly! It’s important to cut them gently.
Step 7
Alright, with this first stage of preparation complete, the baby octopus is now ready for a thorough cleaning. The baby octopus I bought today was packed with roe, exceeding my expectations! I feel so happy about it. ^^
Step 8
If you look closely at the suction cups on the baby octopus tentacles, you might notice sand or small debris stuck there, making them look a bit messy. We’re going to wash these clean.
Step 9
You can simply wash them with water, but using flour is much more effective! Sprinkle a generous amount of flour over the baby octopus, then gently knead it as if you were washing laundry. The flour will cling to the sand and other impurities, helping to remove them cleanly.
Step 10
After washing thoroughly with flour, rinse them multiple times under running water. It’s good to ensure all the flour residue is completely gone.
Step 11
After completing all these steps, voilà! You’ll be greeted with this wonderfully clean and fresh baby octopus. Now, it’s ready to be enjoyed in your delicious dishes!
