In the tapas bars of Murcia there is never a lack of classics such as salad, seafood, sailors and bicycles, horses, Murcian salad, michirones, salted fish or local sausages. Another essential snack is the baked octopus or Murcian, served in generous tacos with a touch of lemon and its characteristic contrast of textures.
The elaboration of the Murcian octopus has small variations according to each house, all of which are perfectly valid; it’s hard to go wrong. The fundamental thing is to start with a clean, whole and thawed octopus, always raw, baking it directly with a few add-ons. Laurel, black peppercorns and lager They are the basics, although there are those who also add a drizzle of oil (totally dispensable, in my opinion) or garlic cloves (the same, they add too much flavor).
The method that I follow consists of roasting the octopus first covered and then letting it toast well on the outside, and finally cover it again to finish cooking, leaving it very juicy. The key is to achieve a tender and tasty interior that contrast a bit with the outside crunchier and roasted.
Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Arrange the octopus in a high-walled dish where it will fit more or less without the tentacles clumping too much, or use one of the flatware of the appliance; when cooked it will reduce in volume. Put with the suction cups upwards and stick the head out on one side so that it is not completely crushed.
Top with the bay leaves and black peppercorns, and pour over the brandy or white wine. Add beer without completely covering it (depending on the size we can use the 500 ml or not). Cover the source with aluminum foil and place in the oven.
Bake 30 minutes covered; uncover carefully and water with the broth from the source itself. Return to the oven for another 30 minutes to toast the tentacles. Keep watering it every 15 minutes.
Lower the oven temperature to 180ºC and roast for another 20-30 minutes, until tender. As it should already be well toasted, we can cover it again to prevent it from going too much on the outside. At the end of baking, if we want it to be more crispy on the outside, finish the last minutes uncovered.
With what to accompany the baked octopus
The Murcian octopus is served cut into large cubes with scissors, with part of the delicious broth from the source and a drizzle of lemon or citrus slices on the table so that everyone can serve themselves to their liking. It is a classic tapa that we can complete with some salad seafood, sobrasada and cheese toasts or a zarangollo tapa, some fried almonds and a selection of smoked meats.
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