Octopus with smoked paprika oil

Name: Octopus with smoked paprika oil
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 1 h 35 min
Yield: FOR
Ingredients: 1 bunch of soup vegetables; 1 onion; 1 head of garlic; 1 sprig of fresh bay leaf; 1 octopus (1–1.4 kg); Salt; 4 sprigs of lemon thyme; 2–3 tbsp rapeseed oil; 6 tbsp good olive oil; 1 tbsp smoked paprika powder; black pepper from the mill; 4–6 grilled lemon slices (optional)

You should pre-cook the octopus; only then will it be as tender as you want it in the end. And it tastes much, much better than the pre-cooked, vacuum-packed octopus you find in stores.

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portions

FOR 4–6 SERVINGS

preparation time

20 Minutes

cooking/baking time

1 minute

You should pre-cook the octopus; only then will it be as tender as you want it in the end. And it tastes much, much better than the pre-cooked, vacuum-packed octopus you find in stores.

Image of Octopus with smoked paprika oil

Ingredients

1 bunch of soup vegetables
1 onion
1 head of garlic
1 sprig of fresh bay leaf
1 octopus (1–1.4 kg)
Salt
4 sprigs of lemon thyme
2–3 tbsp rapeseed oil
6 tbsp good olive oil
1 tbsp smoked paprika powder
black pepper from the mill
4–6 grilled lemon slices (optional)

preparation

Peel the soup vegetables if necessary and cut into bite-sized pieces. Peel and halve the onion. Cut the head of garlic in half crosswise. Pick through the bay leaf.
Put the prepared ingredients together with the octopus into the Dutch Oven and fill the pot with water until the octopus is covered. Add 1 tbsp salt.
Hang the Dutch Oven (about 10 cm above the flame) and bring the water to a boil in 8–10 minutes. (On the grill over direct strong to very strong heat at 240–260 °C.)
As soon as the water starts boiling, hang the Dutch Oven higher (20–30 cm above the flame) and cook the octopus for 40–45 minutes. (On the grill over indirect medium heat at 160–180 °C.)
After cooking, remove the Dutch Oven, hang the grill grate (10–20 cm above the flame), place the pan on the grate, and preheat. (On the grill over direct medium to strong heat at 180–200 °C.) Pick through the lemon thyme.
Portion the octopus. Cut off the arms, remove the beak, halve the head, and remove smaller innards. Pour the rapeseed oil into the pan and fry the octopus until crispy for 10–15 minutes. About 5 minutes before the end of cooking, add lemon thyme, olive oil, and paprika powder, and season with salt and pepper. Serve the octopus with grilled lemon slices if you like.
TIP: To shorten the cooking time, you can pre-cook and portion the octopus at home. When guests arrive and you already have a good fire going, you only need 10–15 minutes for the actual preparation.