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Matt Migliore

Grilled Octopus
S30E14 American · 2022
Private chef based in Queens, NY; operates The Chef Matt Experience for private dining
● @matt_chefmigs

Grilled octopus is a dish that lives or dies in the prep, not on the grill. The grill is the last forty seconds. The forty minutes before the grill is a slow braise in salted water, bay, wine, and peppercorn, until the tentacles surrender into something that bends but doesn't shred.

Matt Migliore is a private chef in Queens running The Chef Matt Experience for private dining. Private chefs cook for people who pay attention. Private chefs do not get away with the lazy octopus.

Bobby grilled hard. Migliore braised first, then grilled. The bite difference was, per the room, immediate.

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Grilled Octopus

20 min Prep
45 min Cook
4 Serves
Ingredients
  • 2 lbs whole octopus, cleaned
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 6 cups water
  • 2 tbsp aged balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 2 tbsp crispy fried garlic chips
Instructions
  1. Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a large pot with the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Add the cleaned octopus and simmer for 35-40 minutes until the thickest part of a tentacle pierces easily with a fork. Drain and let cool for 5 minutes.
  2. Pat the octopus dry with paper towels. Cut tentacles away from the head and halve them lengthwise so they lay flat. Discard the head or reserve for stock.
  3. In a bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Reserve 2 tablespoons of this marinade separately, then coat octopus pieces thoroughly with the remaining mixture. Let sit for 8-10 minutes.
  4. Heat a cast-iron grill pan or outdoor grill to high heat (450°F) until it just begins to smoke. Lightly oil the grates. Working in batches, grill octopus tentacles cut-side down for 2-3 minutes until charred and crispy, then flip and grill the other side for 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate.
  5. Drizzle the reserved marinade and aged balsamic vinegar over the grilled octopus immediately. Scatter with fresh parsley and crispy fried garlic chips. Serve hot or warm with crusty bread to soak up the juices.
Inspired by Matt Migliore’s winning grilled octopus. This is a plausible recreation, not the chef’s original recipe.
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