Octopus Confit: Boiled to Perfection, Blooming Like a Flower
Octopus Confit: Boiled to Perfection, Blooming Like a Flower
How to Boil Octopus for a Tender and Delicious Result
Behold, the octopus blooms like a flower! π With just a little care when boiling, you can achieve a beautifully shaped octopus that’s as delightful to look at as it is to eat. After the initial preparation, it’s time to boil the octopus. Boiled octopus (mukhoe) is the easiest octopus dish, but if boiled incorrectly, it can be fishy and tough. While simply slicing and enjoying the tentacles is delicious, cutting it this way creates a more elegant presentation. You can even use these perfectly sliced pieces to make delightful octopus sushi!
Main Ingredients- 1 fresh octopus
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Prepare the water for boiling the octopus. Adding radish to the boiling water will help make the octopus more tender. Pour plenty of water into a pot, add thinly sliced radish, and bring it to a boil. Thin slices will soften slightly by the time the water boils, enhancing the octopus’s tenderness.
Step 2
Add soju to the water to eliminate any fishy odor from the octopus. You can use leftover soju. Since I used a generous amount of water, I added about two soju cups (a small Korean shot glass). (Adjust the amount based on your water volume.)
Step 3
Here’s the secret to boiling octopus into a beautiful shape! Gently dip the tentacles into the boiling water and pull them out repeatedly. While presentation might not be crucial if you’re eating it immediately, it’s important for guest meals or special occasions. To achieve a beautiful octopus shape, dip the tentacles into the water for about 30 seconds, repeating this process 2-3 times. This will cause the tentacles to curl inward, creating a lovely flower-like appearance.
Step 4
Now, boil the octopus for 7 minutes. Overboiling will make the octopus tough, while underboiling will result in a rubbery texture. Of course, boiling it for a very long time will make it extremely tender, but it can compromise the pleasant chewy texture. The boiling time may vary slightly depending on the size of the octopus. For an octopus weighing around 1kg (about 2.2 lbs), boiling for approximately 7 minutes in boiling water is ideal. After dipping and blanching the tentacles as described, submerge the entire octopus and boil for 7 minutes.
Step 5
Voila! You’ll have a beautifully boiled octopus, resembling a blooming flower.
Step 6
Rinse the octopus quickly in cold water to maintain its firm and springy texture. If you have ice, immersing it in ice water is even better. This step ensures the octopus stays delightfully chewy and firm.
Step 7
Isn’t this a satisfying sight? A beautiful octopus, just like a flower! π
Step 8
Now, let’s slice it for serving. If you’re not confident with your knife skills, slicing the tentacles diagonally might result in uneven pieces. So, I decided to skip the diagonal cut and instead cut each tentacle lengthwise in half.
Step 9
After cutting the tentacles to a consistent length, I further cut them in half again, focusing on the part with the suckers.
Step 10
For the thicker parts of the tentacles, you can cut them in half once more if you prefer. For a 1kg octopus, cutting them in half is usually sufficient for comfortable eating.
Step 11
This method results in uniformly shaped and neat pieces of boiled octopus. ^^ Enjoy them as they are with a dipping sauce, or use them to create delicious octopus sushi β it’s truly a culinary delight!
