Octopus in a pressure cooker

Cooking octopus in a pressure cooker is a great way to achieve a tender texture in less time compared to traditional cooking methods.

Ingredients

• 1 large octopus (about 1-1.5 kg)
• 1 onion
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 1 handful of fresh parsley (optional)
• Water as needed
• Salt as needed
• Whole black peppercorns (optional)

Preparation

1. If you didn’t buy it already cleaned, start by cleaning the octopus by removing the ink sac and the eyes, and rinsing it under running water.
2. Bring water to a boil in a pot. When it’s boiling, dip and lift the octopus three consecutive times to curl the tentacles (this step is called “scaring the octopus”).
3. Place the octopus in the pressure cooker with the peeled onion (which you can leave whole), bay leaves, and whole peppercorns if you are using them. If you wish, you can also add a handful of parsley.
4. It’s not necessary to add water, as the octopus will release its own liquids, but if you prefer, you can add a bit of water or white wine to further flavor it.
5. Close the cooker and after it starts whistling, calculate about 20-25 minutes for a large octopus. If the octopus is smaller, 15 minutes may be enough.
6. Once the cooking time is up, turn off the heat and let the pressure cooker cool and the pressure decrease naturally before opening it.

After cooking, you can cut the octopus into pieces and season with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Curiosity

In some parts of Spain, particularly in Galicia where “pulpo a la gallega” is a traditional dish, the octopus is repeatedly beaten on a hard surface to tenderize it before cooking. Luckily, with the use of the pressure cooker, this step can be omitted.