Name: Baked Octopus with Potatoes
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 115 min
Yield: serves 4 people
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 1.2 kg (2.5 pounds) frozen octopus; 2 bay leaves; 1 kg (2 pounds) potatoes; 1 onion; 5 garlic cloves; 4 tbsp olive oil; 1 bay leaf; 250 g (1/2 pound) cherry tomatoes; 50 ml (1/4 cup) white wine; 1 tbsp diced parsley

Baked Octopus with Potatoes

If you plan on visiting the Adriatic coast and haven’t already, then you absolutely should try a dish called “Hobotnica izpod peke” or Baked Octopus. If you already had, then you know that it’s delicious. In our (Maja’s) family, we never prepared octopus at home, it was reserved for special occasions at the seaside, but in Jernej’s family, things were a bit different. He had the opportunity to go Octopus fishing in Dalmatia many times, and he even had a chance to see how the locals would prepare it. Today we make Baked Octopus at home from time to time, so it’s our pleasure to share our go-to recipe today so you can recreate it for your family too.

Adriatic Baked Octopus

Seafood lovers know that baked Octopus can be a magnificent dish if prepared well. This is a Croatian-inspired recipe full of flavor and deliciousness. The trick is to bake the Octopus in a cast iron dish or dutch oven. It holds the temperature well, and the dish is baked so well. However, don't stress if you don't own one. Use a ceramic baking dish. In that case, instead of baking the dish with a closed lid, use aluminum foil for the best result.

juicy, soft, very delicious Octopus
delicious baked potatoes and naturally sweet cherry tomatoes
a fantastic family meal (our toddler loves it)
it's dairy-free
it's best to serve it immediately

PRO TIP: If you plan on making a larger amount of this recipe (for eight people, for example), it's better to buy two smaller (2.5 pounds or 1.2kg) octopus than one large one. It will taste better and it will be juicier.

Storing

It's best to serve this Baked Octopus freshly baked. If you have any leftovers, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a day. Before serving, reheat well in a preheated oven.

How to make Baked Octopus with Potatoes at home (video)

We created this short and quick video for Spar Slovenija. You will find all the ingredients and tips and tricks needed for making this Baked Octopus with Potatoes at home in this recipe.

Try these beautfiul seafood recipes too

Thanks to Spar Slovenija for all the amazing ingredients and for sponsoring this post.

METHOD

cook the octopus

Defrost the octopus overnight by placing it in a bowl at room temperature. Then rinse under running water, clean it and place in a large pot. Add bay leaves and water to cover the octopus. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes. When the octopus cooks, set aside to cool, then cut it into larger pieces. Preheat the oven to 200 °C / 390 °F.
bake

Peel and cut the potatoes. Add to a large dutch oven. If you don't have a dutch oven, feel free to use a large ceramic baking dish. Also, add in peeled garlic cloves, peeled and sliced onion, bay leaf, olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Stir and place the octopus on top. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 1 hour at 200 °C / 390 °F on the medium rack.
add the tomatoes and finish

Carefully remove the dutch oven from the oven. Add cherry tomatoes and white wine. Continue to bake at 210 °C / 410 °C for 25 - 30 minutes. Before serving, sprinkle with diced parsley.

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Baked Octopus with Potatoes