I love a seafood dish that is versatile. This Pressure Cooker Octopus is cooked in a rich tomato sauce which is perfect just on it’s own with some bread, but you can also have it in a rich seafood risotto, or alongside golden roast potatoes. And you won’t believe how tender it is with only 15 minutes of Pressure Cooking!
Origins of this dish
The origins of this recipe have a strong Mediterranean influence. A typical recipe from near Naples in Italy is called Polpo alla Luciana. It originated from the village of Santa Lucia in the Campania region near Naples, a fishermen’s village. The octopus is gently stewed in terracotta pots with cherry tomatoes, capers, olives and a touch of chilli.
A similar version of this dish is also a Maltese dish that is served with spaghetti – Spaghetti Biz-Zalza Tal-Qarnit, which has the addition of peas, and the sweet Maltese Kunserva.
Equipment Needed – A Pressure cooker!
Octopus is one of those things that is in all honestly, not easy to cook. Similar to squid – the worry of every cook making this is always the same. Will it end up chewy? This is mainly due to the fibers in the octopus which are made up of collagen – which needs a long time to break down.
Cooking in a Pressure Cooker for the most tender Octopus
Pressure cooking is a proven method of breaking down those fibers quickly due to the pressurized high heat giving you great results for tender octopus in JUST 15 MINUTES!
For this recipe I use my Phillips All-In-One Cooker in Pressure mode for 15 minutes. Notes and cooking instructions below and in recipe card.
Does Freezing Octopus Tenderise it?
Many say though that freezing the octopus first, does help with the tenderisation and breaking down the tough fibers of it. In most cases I have found that octopus is more easily accessible as frozen anyway.
If you have a local fishmongers where you can purchase it fresh, freeze it for a few days or till you are ready to cook it. Thaw in the fridge overnight before pressure cooking.
How long to cook Octopus over the stove?
If you do not have a pressure cooker, you can follow this same recipe and just cook the octopus over a stove in a deep pot. Keep the pot covered with the lid askew. The liquid/sauce should just gently simmer only – and continue cooking for 45-60 minutes. Check with a knife after 45 minutes on the thickest part of the octopus to check it’s tenderness.
Ingredients for this Pressure Cooker Octopus
Octopus
Fresh or Frozen baby Octopus is the hero ingredient for this Pressure Cooker Octopus dish. I found fresh baby octopus at my local fish mongers (when cleaned, each small octopus weighed roughly 300 gr each), which I froze then defrosted overnight prior to cooking.
You can also use smaller baby octopus – which can be found frozen and sold by the kg in good seafood or specialty stores.
Cleaning of the Octopus
Make sure that prior to cooking the octopus is thoroughly been cleaned if it’s internal organs. When purchasing fresh you can ask your fish mongers to do it for you as it can be quite messy (and smelly) business!
The beak (the hard mouth of the octopus) is not always removed so make sure you remove it – either before or after cooking. It’s extremely tough and cannot be eaten!
Tinned Tomatoes
I usually use chopped tomatoes of the brand Mutti which I love for the rich and tasty tomato flavour and used 1 400 gr can for this recipe.
Capers & Olives
I used sliced, brined black olives for this recipe
Other Ingredients
- Garlic & Onion – for the soffritto to start the sauce
- Stock Cube and Water
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Salt, Pepper & Oil
- Fresh Parsley & Lemon wedges, to garnish
How to Make this Pressure Cooker Octopus in a Tomato and Olive Sauce
I have added the instructions below using the Phillips-All-In One Cooker, but any pressure cooker can be used. If the pressure cooker does not have a Sauté mode, replace the step by using a standard pot over the stove before placing the Octopus and sauce in the Pressure Cooker.
Please follow all manufacturers instructions carefully as cooking on different appliances varies
Sauté Onion & Garlic
Set Phillips All-In-One Cooker Mode to Sauté/Sear High Temp – Set Cooking time to 10 minutes – Lid OFF.
Start by heating the olive oil for a few minutes, when warm, add the onion and garlic and stir till they gently soften for 5 minutes.
Add Sauce ingredients and Octopus
To the pot, add the chopped tomatoes, and fill half the can with water to rinse and also add it to the pot. Add the stock cube, the capers, olives and combine. Add the cleaned octopus to the inner pot and mix well with the sauce.
Pressure Cook
Set Phillips All-In-One Cooker Mode to Pressure Cook Meat / Poultry Mode – Set cooking time to 15 minutes. Lid ON with Valve set to SEAL. Press START.
Set Pressure cooking time to 15 minutes. You will also need to allow for the pressure cooker to come to pressure prior to the 15 minutes starting too.
Release pressure valve & Remove Octopus
Once timer is up, Set Phillips All-In-One Cooker Valve to VENT.
Once the timer is up, release the pressure valve carefully till all the steam has escaped and the lid of the pot can safely be opened.
Remove the octopus and set aside in a separate dish. You can check its tenderness by piercing the thickest part of the octopus with a knife, which should easily go through it!
You can cut the octopus into large pieces as per your liking (or smaller pieces if using for a pasta sauce or risotto). Make sure the beak has been removed.
Reduce Tomato Sauce & Season
Set Phillips All-In-One Cooker Mode to Sauté/Sear High Temp – Set Cooking time to 5 minutes – Lid OFF.
Check the sauce and adjust seasoning. Add 1 tsp of salt and 1 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce. Continue cooking the sauce down for a further 5-10 minutes till slightly thickened.
Once the sauce has reduced, turn off the pressure cooker and pour the sauce over the octopus pieces in a serving dish.
Garnish & Serve
Top with fresh chopped parsley, ground pepper and lemon wedges to serve. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions for this Pressure Cooker Octopus in a Tomato and Olive Sauce
This delicious Pressure Cooker Octopus can be served in a variety of different ways as a main meal with lots of options for sides. Here are some of my favourite pairings:
- Simply with some sliced crusty sourdough bread
- The octopus can be cut in smaller pieces and the sauce can be stirred through some spaghetti
- The sauce and octopus cut in small pieces can be a great base for a seafood risotto
- Served with boiled or roasted potatoes
- Served with some creamy polenta
- Served with stir fried greens and corn ribs
Loved this Pressure Cooker Octopus Recipe? Want more?
Love seafood dishes? Then check out my recipes of Prawn and Chorizo Paella and Squid Ink Pasta with Prawns and Chilli
Pressure Cooker Octopus in a Tomato and Olive Sauce
Equipment
- 1 Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 kg Baby Octopus (Cleaned and defrosted)
- 4 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 3 Garlic Cloves (finely chopped)
- 1 Brown Onion (finely chopped)
- 1 Can Tinned Chopped Tomatoes (400 gr)
- 3 Tbsp Sliced, Pitted Black Olives
- 3 Tbsp Capers
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Stock Cube (Vegetable Preferably)
- 1 cup Water
- 1 Tsp Salt
- Ground Pepper
- 1 Small Bunch Parsley (finely chopped, to serve)
- Lemon Wedges (to serve)
Instructions
- Set Phillips All-In-One Cooker Mode to Sauté/Sear High Temp – Set Cooking time to 10 minutes – Lid OFF.Start by heating the olive oil for a few minutes, when warm, add the onion and garlic and stir till they gently soften for 5 minutes.
- To the pot, add the chopped tomatoes, and fill half the can with water to rinse and also add it to the pot. Add the stock cube, the capers, olives and combine. Add the cleaned octopus to the inner pot and mix well with the sauce.
- Set Phillips All-In-One Cooker Mode to Pressure Cook Meat / Poultry Mode – Set cooking time to 15 minutes. Lid ON with Valve set to SEAL. Press START. Set Pressure cooking time to 15 minutes. You will also need to allow for the pressure cooker to come to pressure prior to the 15 minutes starting too.
- Once timer is up, Set Phillips All-In-One Cooker Valve to VENT. Once the timer is up, release the pressure valve carefully till all the steam has escaped and the lid of the pot can safely be opened.Remove the octopus and set aside in a separate dish. You can check its tenderness by piercing the thickest part of the octopus with a knife, which should easily go through it!You can cut the octopus into large pieces as per your liking (or smaller pieces if using for a pasta sauce or risotto). Make sure the beak has been removed.
- Set Phillips All-In-One Cooker Mode to Sauté/Sear High Temp – Set Cooking time to 5 minutes – Lid OFF.Check the sauce and adjust seasoning. Add 1 tsp of salt and 1 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce. Continue cooking the sauce down for a further 5-10 minutes till slightly thickened.Once the sauce has reduced, turn off the pressure cooker and pour the sauce over the octopus pieces in a serving dish.
- Top with fresh chopped parsley, ground pepper and lemon wedges to serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- Simply with some sliced crusty sourdough bread
- The octopus can be cut in smaller pieces and the sauce can be stirred through some spaghetti
- The sauce and octopus cut in small pieces can be a great base for a seafood risotto
- Served with boiled or roasted potatoes
- Served with some creamy polenta
- Served with stir-fried greens and corn ribs
