barbequed octopus

 

Last time I needed to make octopus, I went to the store and asked for baby octopus, and they pointed me to the freezer where there was a grayish purple ball in a baggie and they told me there were like 20 of them in there. But there was one. Regular sized. I mean, I guess it was regular sized. I don't know how big an octopus regularly is. But it was no baby.

This time, I needed for there to be just one in the bag. So I told the clerk what happened last time, and she seemed stunned to the point that I sort of think she thought I was lying to her. Why I would choose the subject of how many octopi were in a frozen ball to be the thing that I started off with in my attempts to deceive her, I'm not sure. But that was the vibe.

So she tells me there are going to be like 20 in this bag, and they don't even sell bags with just one in there. "No one buys the big ones. People like the little ones."

OK, I thought. I'll take my chances.

Got home, thawed it out. And this is how many I found in the bag:

Just like I needed.

I even called the store and told her. I offered to e-mail a photo, but I don't think that would have helped. She was convinced that I had now bought the only two single-octopus bags ever to enter the store. Whatever. I got what I wanted this time. Last time, it was a problem.

So, this time the octopus gets baked for two hours. Last time it was boiled. Last time, I was surprised how much I liked it. This time, I remembered how much I liked it the last time.

It was ok. Not memorable. I liked the potato salad with the tangerine dressing that went with it. But if I make octopus again, it will be the bavette.

And I'll buy them pre-thawed, so I know I how many I'm getting.

Up next: an antipasto plate.