Take your octopus out of the liquid and place in a bowl. Add some olive oil, some balsamic vinegar, dried Greek oregano, freshly ground black pepper and if needed at all, some sea salt. Place the octopus on the grill and sear for about 2-3 minutes on both sides. Remove from the grill and place on a serving plate.
Grilled octopus is the perfect Greek meze/appetizer. If you are using frozen octopus, defrost it completely in the fridge overnight. Rinse your octopus well under cool running water. Place your octopus in a large pot. Add the allspice berries, garlic, bay leaves, and fresh thyme. Add enough water to just cover the octopus.
This simple Greek-style octopus recipe means you can cook those tentacles perfectly with a simple process that also enhances their natural flavour! This is an authentic Greek dish to serve at home any time you can get fresh octopus and bring back memories of your favourite summer holidays!
Divide the octopus into eight pieces, keeping the tentacles intact. Place in a heavy saucepan with the garlic, bay leaf, rosemary, thyme, vinegar, balsamic, half cup of olive oil, and black pepper. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 45 to 50 minutes, or until the tentacles are tender but al dente and not at all stringy.