The Benefits to Massaging an Octopus before Cooking It (Guest)

If you are one that loves to cook but aren’t really the most skillful of chefs, there are certain things you should know. Cooking is often perceived as a daunting task, mainly because the process isn’t an easy one. Fortunately, there are plenty of recipes that one will actually find quite easy to make, and are very delicious too.

When it comes to certain cuisines, people believe that the cooking process will be very difficult. This, however, is untrue. With the right method in mind, cooking can be quite fun. Making delicious and unique food happens to not be so tough at all; take cooking an octopus for example. Cooking octopus for most people is seen as a frightening challenge (who wouldn’t be frightened, it’s an octopus!) but there are ways to ensure the process is easy, and it cooks fast. One of these ways is massaging the octopus before cooking, a technique that has shown to make the seafood cuisine very delicious.

The benefits to massaging an octopus before cooking it:

– Enhances taste

The main benefit to simply massaging the octopus before cooking it is that the taste of the seafood will significantly enhance: it will have more flavor and an extra kick to it. Without massaging the entire octopus, you will be surprised at how the taste differs significantly. Octopus has so much taste potential, but not many people take advantage of that fact. When you massage the octopus quickly for 5 to 10 minutes, the entire taste will drastically improve. Try cooking two different octopuses and massage one of the two. Note the difference in taste.

– Enhances texture and consistency

An octopus is known for having quite a strange texture, especially when first eaten. However, when you thoroughly massage before cooking, the texture will be less awkward in the mouth. When massaging the octopus make sure that you wear gloves so that the funky smell does not get stuck on your hands. Aside from improving the taste and texture of the dish, massaging helps to improve its consistency as well. We can talk about the benefits of massaging an octopus before the cooking process all day, so make sure you always do it.

The following is a recipe that would need one to massage an octopus before cooking. Try it!

Octopus Carpaccio

The ingredients below can make 5 to 6 servings if you serve it as the second course, but can cater for up to 10 if you serve it as the appetizer. However, the serving will vary on how hungry your guests are.

Ingredients
1 octopus that weighs at least 1kg (deep-frozen octopus will work fine)

Lemon juice
Extra vigil olive oil
Salt chopped parsley
Black pepper
Green or black olives (optional choice is olive taggiasche)
Celery (optional)

Before cooking this recipe, make sure that you massage the octopus to achieve better taste, texture, and consistency.

Other recipes that have octopus as main ingredient include octopus dumpling balls and octopus salad.

AUTHOR:

Mark Gomez is owner and operator of Gomez Catering. Gomez Catering specializes in providing full service, off-premise catering and party planning. With an emphasis on quality, customer service, and style we can help you with any size event but we believe there are no limitations when it comes to food. What lies in your imagination is our goal to create and bring to life.