Korean Fried Octopus

  • Difficulty: Medium
  • 35 minutes
  • 2 servings

When one thinks about Asian cuisine, condiments, spices, and aromas come to mind. The same is true of Korean cuisine. Take these fried octopus tentacles, for instance. You’re going to flavor them (and the salad) with soy sauce, ginger, star anise, mango sauce, hoisin sauce, and a lot of other flavoring goodies.

Ingredients Needed for Korean Fried Octopus

    water
    salt
    2 teaspoons soy sauce
    2 teaspoons ginger, grated
    1 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice mix
    1 teaspoon peppercorns
    1 teaspoon dried coriander
    2 star anise
    2 pounds octopus
    1 tablespoon olive oil
    3 garlic cloves, crushed
    1 teaspoon lemongrass, minced
    2 tablespoons lemon juice
    1 tablespoon honey
    2 teaspoons mango sauce
    1 teaspoon hoisin sauce
    1 teaspoon rice vinegar
    4 slices of lime
    1 carrot, julienned
    4 leaves lettuce, chopped
    2 spring onions, julienned
    1 chili pepper, sliced
    sesame seeds (for seasoning)

How to Make Korean Fried Octopus

  1. 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.
  2. Boil for 5 minutes.
  3. Add the octopus tentacles, cover with the lid and boil for 10 more minutes.
  4. Transfer the boiled tentacles on a plate on paper towels.
  5. Add the olive oil, garlic, and the remaining ginger to a smaller pot over low-medium heat. Stir. Add the lemongrass.
  6. Add the lemon juice, honey, mango sauce, hoisin sauce, and rice vinegar. Cook and stir for 1-2 minutes.
  7. Add the remaining soy sauce and 2-3 tablespoons of water if necessary. Stir and simmer for the next 10 minutes.
  8.  Use some of this sauce to coat the boiled tentacles.
  9. Heat 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil in a grill pan over medium-high heat, then add the sauce-coated tentacles.
  10. Grill for 4 minutes on both sides.
  11. Add the lime slices, cook for a few more seconds, and remove from heat.
  12. 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.
  13. Serve the salad with grilled tentacles.

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