Broiled Lemon Octopus with Balsamic Mushrooms & Dill

The ocean has always both captivated and frightened my mind. It is an absolutely mysterious and timeless mega-organism, which even today is home to some of the oldest known creatures on Earth. One of them is an octopus. (And so many other scary and hairy things!) The ocean is deep, dark, and unknown.

While humans, as we know them today, have been around for 200,000 years, the found fossils of the distant relative of a modern octopus are 165 million years old. One needs to be literally lively to be able to survive as a species without any major change for so long. Is not that admirable?

(On a side note, one of my very favorite books that you MUST read is Remarkably Bright Creatures. Marcellus the Octopus is absolutely exquisite and magical.)

In any case, what I’ve learned with food is that we MUST appreciate what nature provides us and cook with respect. Octopus deserves special treatment, so every dish with this amazing creature should be absolutely stunning and delicious.

Broiled Lemon Octopus with Balsamic Mushrooms and Dill

1 lb. octopus tentacles (pre-blanched)
1 Tbs. lemon-infused olive oil
kosher salt and pepper
2 Tbs. Kerrygold butter
½ lb. baby Bella mushrooms, sliced
kosher salt and pepper
1 Tbs. onion balsamic reduction
fresh spinach
fresh dill weed
freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 500°F.

On a parchment-lined baking sheet, drizzle the tentacles with lemon olive oil and salt and pepper.

Roast for 15-20 minutes, until just beginning to crisp.

Meanwhile, in a separate pan, melt the butter and sauté the mushrooms with salt and pepper until the mushrooms release their juice. Drizzle with onion balsamic reduction.

Plate the delicacy with fresh spinach and dill, broiled octopus, mushrooms, kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper.

Enjoy, cherish, and respect this amazing meal before you.