This is totally not relevant to backpacking, but I brought some octopus back from Alaska this past August and am looking for suggestions. Last night I quickly pan seared some and was surprised by the amount of "goo" that was released during cooking. Seems like it would lend itself to a saucy preparation as a natural thickener. Any thoughts?

I don't know if you could do this (or would want to) with anything other than really fresh octopus but sushi restaurants often serve the tentacles raw chopped up into small pieces over a bed of seaweed salad, cucumber, and thinly sliced red onion with a citrus soy sauce-based vinaigrette dressing.

Mexican restaurants will sometimes use it with other types of seafood in a ceviche. You can add in various veggies (tomato, onion, jalapeno, cucumber...) or sometimes even fruit (like mango or papaya) and "cook" the mixture in lime juice for a few hours.

Now that I think of it, I don't think I've ever had cooked octopus...

Maybe it can be prepared in similar methods to squid (eg, calamari)?

Edited by NickB on 02/27/2013 13:05:04 MST.

Love octopus! Most recipes that I know use a two-step process, first to pre-cook the octopus and then a second to introduce it into whatever dish. I personally don't like the "goo". You can get rid of some of it by kneading or massaging the octopus (raw) and rinsing it well. Then cook it in a large pot of water.

I love Japanese "tako-su" which is a cold salad, with thinly sliced cooked octopus, in a light clear sweet-sour dressing, with sliced cucumbers and maybe some seaweed (wakame). The Japanese also serve it as sushi/sashimi (cooked.)

I was just in Mexico last week and had grilled octopus tacos -- good stuff! Great with a fresh slaw and some avocados.

I've only had it grilled at higher end Greek restaurants ... I don't know if they precook/braise it before grilling it.

It is yummy.

My favorite use of octopus is to put it on a hook, lower it to 150 feet, and hope for a halibut (rather than a dogfish or skate). Although it doesn't generate as much of an odor trail as herring, it stays on hook for a long time, being pretty tough, and can often be used multiple times.

My other use is of the word "octopus" in the phrase, "a few octopus short of a Greek salad."

Let's not get into the whole pluralization debate - octopus, octopi, octopuses, and octopodes all having their champions.