Fried octopus is a favorite and common seafood in the Mediterranean, Asian, Portuguese, and Hawaiian cuisines.

Fried octopus name in Korean is nakji-bokkeum. In the Portuguese culture, many desire to fry octopus, or to make “polvo frito”.

For those who love spicy seafood, this recipe is absolutely for you

There are many ways to prepare octopus. There’s grilled, boiled, baked, sous vide (under vacuum) and now there is fried.

I liked the fried method as the outer layer is crisp and the meat is tender – so tender than one can slice the tentacles with a butter knife

Irrespective of how you’re going to eat octopus the key is to tenderize it.

Fried Octopus Recipe – How to Prepare Octopus for Frying

From sushi to salads, there are many unique possibilities and ways to consume it.

Here is a simple recipe on how to cook baby octopus:

Boil the octopus with some vegetables until it is tender then coat it with flour before frying

The octopus is ready to eat after boiling but I wanted some crispiness hence the frying.

I favored butter in frying these babies, but if you don’t like to use butter you can use oil.

And if you don’t want to fry at all you can eat them without frying. They are delicious if boiled properly.

However, if you want them as a meal just serve them with your favorite side dish.

Above all, deep-frying, when done properly, is a great way to cook seafood.

Deep frying octopus quickly seals the food’s surface, locking in flavor and moisture and it adds appealing crunch, color, and aroma.

Fried octopus Recipe: How to Prepare Octopus for Frying

Ingredients

5 lb. boiled baby octopus

1 tbsp. soy sauce

One tbsp. sake

1 tbsp. potato starch

One tbsp. all-purpose flour

Canola oil enough to deep fry

Steps

Firstly, mix soy sauce and sake in a plastic bag. Then, cut baby octopus in bite-size and add it into the plastic bag. Marinate for 10 minutes ~ overnight. Secondly, take the marinated octopus out of the plastic bag and remove as much as the liquid. After that, mix potato starch and flour in a separate plastic bag. Then, add the the octopus and coat them evenly. Lastly, add canola oil in a pod as required and fry them until the outside is crispy.

How does one know when the octopus is cooled enough and tender?

Simply stick a fork in one of the tentacles and it should easily slide in with little resistance.

Do not overcook as the octopus becomes mealy (like an old apple) and the skin and tentacles will fall.