Greek octopus appetizer - Htapódi xidáto

Ingredients to make Greek octopus

1 whole octopus from a reliable source

Lots of Tragano Greek Organics Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Red wine vinegar for your marinade

1 tbsp Sparoza Greek Fisherman's Fish & Seafood Mix

1/4c peppercorns

How to prepare Htapódi xidáto

Warm a large pot on high heat. Wash the octopus and place it in the pot. Cover, lower the heat to medium-low, and let the octopus cook in its own juices for 1-2 hours depending on the size. You want the octopus to be tender and the pot to have about 1/2 inch to an inch of liquid. When you get to this stage, turn off hte heat and let the whole thing cool completely.

Note: a larger octopus will have more liquid so the exact cooking time and amount of liquid left in the pot can vary - trust your judgement!

When the octopus has cooled, cut it into bite-sized pieces and place them in a glass storage container. Cover with equal amounts of olive oil and vinegar, add the Sparoza seafood seasoning mix and the peppercorns, and seal the container. Shake it a few times for the marinade to coat the octopus pieces evenly and refrigerate overnight.

To serve, spoon out the octopus into a single bowl or onto individual serving dishes. Add some of the marinade or extra olive oil if needed. Try chopping up fresh scallions, parsley, or sea fennel for extra texture and flavor. 

Don't let the octopus fool you - it's one of the easiest & tastiest Greek summer  mezédes! 

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The Greek octopus recipe is part of our FREE Summer e-book "A Zelos Summer - 7 Places & Foods we Love". Learn how to live, cook, and eat like a Greek! Download the FREE e-book.

Buy the ingredients to make Greek octopus