Tentacular Snacking

I get so nostalgic sometimes for Spain. Those ridiculously hot days spent sipping cervezas in the plaza and picking at a plate of octopus slathered in olive oil and sprinkled with smoked paprika. We always marveled at how the octopus was perfectly tender, and flavored just perfectly. I’ve cooked it myself a few times, and despite my best efforts, have ended up with too-chewy tentacles or squishy suction cups. I guess I never spent enough time tenderizing it by slapping the octopus on a rock for hours before cooking it.

Fortunately, someone does know how to cook it correctly. They just make you pay for it. I was walking around in Whole Foods the other day when I noticed some “quick-cooked” octopus tentacles in the seafood case. So I snagged a few. Yeah, they were probably way over-priced, but the benefit of this was that all I had to do when I got them home was slice them and add the finishing touches: olive oil, smoked paprika, Malden sea salt flakes, and a dash of lemon juice. Still not quite the same, but a nice quick substitute for a vacation in Madrid.