Inspired by this post on iamafoodblog.com, I decided to use my next attempt at making octopus to make takoyaki. For those that are unaware what takoyaki are, go ahead and read that linked post. The author does a great job explaining what takoyaki are and how they are made.
I'm not going to say too much about my takoyaki, as I wasn't satisfied with the results. Not sure really what went wrong, but I found the final product very unappetizing. The flavor combination just wasn't working for me, in fact it kind of turned my stomach.
But it wasn't a complete disaster, as I am getting closer to achieving octopus perfection! The technique behind this batch was pretty similar, the octopus was simmered gently for about one hour, and allowed to cool in the liquid it cooked in. This time, however, I gave the octopus a massage before cooking. I saw the technique in Jiro Dreams of Sushi, and after a quick google search, found an octopus recipe that featured a salt massage. The massage both tenderizes the octopus and removes its slimy outer layer of skin.
And indeed the massage worked! The octopus was noticeably more tender this time around and quite close to the tenderness of the octopus from Cambio de Tercio. It wasn't perfect, however, as I think I was a little aggressive with the salt during the massage. As a result, the octopus was overseasoned, though not so much as to be inedible. I'm getting closer to the final product I want, and I'm going to give cooking octopus another go. I've already found the recipe I'm going to use it in, so I should have Octopus, Episode 3 coming soon.
Have you tried takoyaki elsewhere? or was there something about your particular version that you found unpleasant?
I've had some great, and some sickening. The latter usually happens when there's just too much kewpie mayo or teriyaki sauce, just heavy and overwhelming.
Posted by: moo | 2012.09.04 at 04:22 PM