[Simple Cooking] How to Boil Deliciously Chewy, Springy Octopus... Boiling Times, Cleaning Methods, and More

Considered a seasonal ingredient for the winter, octopus is soft and easy to cook. Since cooking it too quickly can make it hard and tough, the texture can vary depending on the boiling time, cleaning methods, and boiling techniques.

Rediscovering Octopus

1. Cut the inside of the octopus head with scissors and turn the head inside out.

2. Remove the entrails from the head and clean out the ink sac as well.

3. Sprinkle flour on the octopus and rub it to remove impurities from the suckers. Repeat this process 2–3 times and rinse thoroughly with water.

4. Alternatively, rub the octopus vigorously with salt to clean it.

5. Or, place frozen octopus in the refrigerator for 24 hours to thaw.

The boiling time for octopus varies depending on its size. There are two main methods: boiling it with a small amount of water in a pot with the lid closed, or blanching it in boiling water.

If you want to enjoy octopus like a steamed dish, place thick slices of onion at the bottom of a pot, pour enough water to cover the onions, place the octopus on top, and boil over medium heat for about 15 to 20 minutes.

For blanched octopus dishes, fill a pot with enough water to submerge the octopus, add radish, wait for the water to boil vigorously, then add the octopus and boil for 7 to 15 minutes.

To remove odors when boiling octopus, you can add △coffee △doenjang (soybean paste) △lemon △basil △soju △bay leaves, etc. The octopus is done when you can easily pierce the thickest part of the legs or the head with chopsticks. When storing boiled octopus, it is best to keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator and consume it within 2–3 days.

A simple seasoning for octopus sukhoe is to mix △3 spoons of gochujang (red chili paste) △half a spoon of sugar △half a spoon of sesame oil △half a spoon of minced garlic with half a cup of water (based on a paper cup).

[Fam Times = Reporter Kim Yu-rye]