Step 1

If frozen, allow to defrost completely in the fridge

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 300°F

Step 3

Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Submerge the octopus for 1 minute. Remove and rinse under cold running water.

Step 4

Prepare the bed of aromatics in a dish large enough to hold the octopus. Roughly chop everything you will be using and place the octopus on top.

Step 5

If your octopus is around 2 lbs, allow it to braise for about 2-hours. If it is closer to 4 lbs, you may need 3 or more hours.

Step 6

Pierce the flesh with a knife or fork to determine tenderness. It should go through easily.

Step 7

To finish, preheat your grill to High (or get out your blow-torch) and grill the octopus until the edges are slightly charred and the ends of the tentacles blackened.

Step 8

Rub down the meat with high-quality olive oil, preferably one of the more bitter Mediterranean styles and serve with a dish of flaky sea salt on the side and lemon wedges.

Step 9

Pomegranate Molasses is optional, but a tiny bit drizzled onto the octopus meat is surprisingly delicious. You can purchase Pomegranate Molasses at Middle Eastern stores or follow my recipe by clicking here.