Octopus in Pressure Cooker

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

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
• Black peppercorns (optional)

Preparation

1. If you haven’t bought it already cleaned, start by cleaning the octopus by removing the ink sac and eyes, and rinsing it under running water.
2. Bring some water to a boil in a pot. When it boils, 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 along with the peeled onion (which you can leave whole), the bay leaves, and the peppercorns if using. If desired, you can also add a handful of parsley.
4. It is 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 pot 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 pressure cooker has finished the cooking time, turn off the heat and let it cool and the pressure drop naturally before opening it.

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

Trivia

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