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Recipe · Seafood

Grilled Octopus with Pesto ("Karambwan")

Ingredients

Octopus:

  • 1 cleaned octopus, about 2 lb (900 g)
  • 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, for coating
  • Salt and pepper

Pesto:

  • 1/4 cup (35 g) toasted pine nuts
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 oz (~57 g) Parmesan, grated
  • 2 bunches basil (about 3 lightly packed cups, 72 g)
  • Juice and zest of 1 lemon
  • 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp coarse salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions

  1. Cover the octopus with cold water by 2 inches (5 cm). Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer 45 to 60 minutes, until a knife slides into a thick tentacle. Cool the octopus in the liquid.
  2. Pulse the pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan, basil, and lemon. Stream in the 4 tbsp oil and season. The pesto keeps 3 days in the refrigerator.
  3. Cut off the tentacles, discard the head, and coat the tentacles with 2 to 3 tbsp oil, salt, and pepper.
  4. Grill on high (preheat about 5 minutes), 3 to 5 minutes per side, until charred.
  5. Spoon the pesto over the octopus.

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