[RECIPE] Crispy Octopus with Sweet Corn Dipping Sauce

Hi everyone!

In this post, I would like to share how to cook octopus and corn dipping sauce. I was so impressived by the 71 Above restaurant. They served the Crispy Octopus as an appetizer and was the best dish of the day. I inspired it and tried to make it myself, then success!

Health benefits of octopus is also very good! Octopus is rich in vitamins and minerals. It is also an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 may lower your blood pressure, cholesterol, and good for your heart and eyes. However, octopus might contain heavy metals like lead, so don’t consume it too much. Consuming too much lead could lead to health issues.

Anyway, the flavor of my dish was not the same as the restaurant’s dish, but it was still so good, even my wife said it was really great! I want you to follow my recipe and enjoy. Let’s get it!!!

Ingredients:

1. For cooking broth and boiling octopus

• Frozen cooked or uncooked octopus as much as you like. (I recommend you to use frozen octopus instead of live because it is softer than the live one. If you buy an octopus freshly caught, I recommend you freeze it for a couple of days before eating it. Freezing octopus makes it breaks down the fibers inside the octopus, making it more tender and easier to cook, and giving the best texture.)

• 1 Lemon
• 2 Green or Red Peppers
• 1 Onion with its root and peel on
• about 8~10 garlic cloves
• 100g Ginger
• 2 tbsp Salt
• 1 tbsp Whole Peppercone
• 1 cup Cooking Wine or White Wine
• Cold Water (as enough as vegetables and octopus can be soaked)

2. For Corn Dipping Sauce

• 1 can Corn
• 1 cup Soymilk or whole milk
• 1 cup Chicken Broth
• 1 tbsp Herbs
• 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
• Half of Onion
• 2 Green Peppers (Optional)

Directions:

1. Prep vegetables and boiling:

• Defrost your octopus.

• Cut the onion and lemon in half.
• Trim head of green peppers and cut it in half
• Peel off the skin of the ginger (If you use a metal spoon, it would be easier)

• Put them all the ingredient for the broth (Onion, Lemon, Ginger, Green Peppers, Peppercone, Garlic Cloves, Wine, Salt) in a large pot and add cold water (Cold water helps you get a dipper broth), and bring it to boil over high heat.

• When it is boiling, hold your octopus with a tong, put it in the boiling water and hold for 2~3 seconds and take out, and put it in for 2~3 seconds and take out. Do it for 5 times. It prevents your octupos not rolling up.

• After the 5 times, put them in the boiling water, and cook for 30 minutes.

• While it is boiling, prep ingredients for the corn sauce.

2. Prep ingredients for the corn sauce:

• Dice the onion, mince the garlic, and drain the canned corn.

• In a large frying pan, add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil, and warm it over medium heat until hot.

• Add the diced onion, and cook until the onions get lightly brown and cleared.

• Add the minced garlic, the drained corn, the herbs (I used Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute, you can use other herbs like basil if you want) to the pan, cook for about 5 minutes.

• Add 1 cup of chicken broth and 1 cup of soymilk, cook for until the liquid are almost absorbed and thickened. It took me about 20~25 minutes.

• Add the thick mixture to a blander, and blend it until smooth. If the sauce is too thick, then add some water.

3. Cook the octopus:

• Pat the boiled octopus dry with a paper towel, and add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil or butter in a frying pan, and warm it over medium-high heat until hot.

• Add the dried octopus and season with salt and pepper, then cook for about 3~5 minutes per side until it gets brown color. Adding lemon juice is optional.

4. Serve:

• Transfer the cooked octopus on a plate and enjoy with the corn dipping sauce. You can also add some green onions or nuts as a garnish.

Overall, the octopus was so tender and cripsy outside. The corn sauce could taste very natural sweet from corn and onion, and deep flavor of the chicken broth. You can add spicy pepper if you like. I added some red pepper flakes. Please try to make it at home! I hope you enjoy it.

Thank you for reading:)