KOREAN OCTOPUS SALAD RECIPES

Steps:

• Fill a pot with up to 1 liter of water, salt it and add 1 teaspoon of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of grated ginger, the Chinese spice mix, peppercorns, coriander, and star anise. Stir in.
• Boil for 5 minutes.
• Add the octopus tentacles, cover with the lid and boil for 10 more minutes.
• Transfer the boiled tentacles on a plate on paper towels.
• Add the olive oil, garlic, and the remaining ginger to a smaller pot over low-medium heat. Stir. Add the lemongrass.
• Add the lemon juice, honey, mango sauce, hoisin sauce, and rice vinegar. Cook and stir for 1-2 minutes.
• Add the remaining soy sauce and 2-3 tablespoons of water if necessary. Stir and simmer for the next 10 minutes.
•  Use some of this sauce to coat the boiled tentacles.
• Heat 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil in a grill pan over medium-high heat, then add the sauce-coated tentacles.
• Grill for 4 minutes on both sides.
• Add the lime slices, cook for a few more seconds, and remove from heat.
• Add the carrot, lettuce, spring onions, and chili pepper to a medium bowl. Pour the dressing on top of them, add a dash or two of sesame seeds and mix.
• Serve the salad with grilled tentacles.

Steps:

• To prepare the octopus, use kitchen sheers or a sharp knife to separate the tentacles from the head by cutting just above the area where the legs come together (above the beak). At this point, you can divide the tentacles or leave whole.
• Combine water and all remaining cooking liquid ingredients in a large, enamel Dutch oven and bring to a boil. Add octopus to pan and simmer for 45-60 minutes (15-20 minutes per pound of octopus), until very tender when pierced with knife.
• Turn off heat and, keeping the octopus submerged; let come to room temperature.
• Remove octopus from the liquid. With a damp paper towel, wipe away skin and peel away the gelatinous, fatty layer from the meat. Chill meat until ready to use (the octopus can be prepped up to 3 days ahead).
• To prepare the barbecue sauce, heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, lemongrass, and ginger to pan; sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine; simmer for 5 minutes. Add water if needed to thin sauce to desired consistency.
• To grill the octopus, heat a well-oiled grill to medium-high to high heat. Once hot, place tentacles on the grill. Using a brush, baste tentacles with the barbecue sauce 2-3 times per side. Continue to flip and rotate the meat until well-charred and glazed, 8-10 minutes total. Serve with remaining sauce and Baby Bok Choy Slaw.