Greek Octopus Wrap (Octopus Souvlaki)
User Reviews
4.9
Greek Octopus Wrap (Octopus Souvlaki)
Description
Greek Octopus Wrap (Octopus Souvlaki) involves simmering octopus with vegetables like fennel, celery, carrot, and Florina pepper, along with bay leaves and peppercorns, until the octopus becomes soft after about an hour. The cooking liquid and aromatics infuse the octopus with subtle flavor. After cooling, the octopus tentacles are skewered and grilled briefly to maintain their shape and add a slight char. The warm pita bread serves as a wrap base, filled with octopus pieces, thin slices of tomato and onion, and a creamy fish roe dip such as taramosalata or mayonnaise.
This combination delivers a mix of tender, flavorful seafood with the freshness of raw vegetables and the creaminess of the dip. The optional addition of French fries inside the wrap introduces a crispy, salty texture that contrasts with the softness of the octopus. The recipe captures a regional Greek style of serving seafood in souvlaki form, making for a distinct and hearty street-food style wrap.
The long simmering time of the octopus ensures tenderness, while the grilling is kept short to preserve juiciness and shape. The use of aromatic vegetables and whole peppercorns adds complexity without overpowering the octopus. This wrap is best served fresh after assembling to maintain the texture contrasts.
Ingredients
For the octopus:
- 1.5 kg octopus
- 2 bay leaf
- 1 onion sliced, medium
- 1 fennel sliced
- 1 celery finely chopped, stick
- 1 Florina pepper cut into cubes
- 1 carrot cut into thin slices
- ½ tbsp peppercorns
For the souvlaki:
- 4 pita bread used as souvlaki wraps
- 1 tomato cut into thin vertical slices
- ½ onion cut into thin vertical slices
- 100 g fish roe dip mayonnaise works also great, taramosalata
To serve (optional):
- French Fries
Instructions
For the octopus:
- In a deep pot, add a little olive oil, the onion, sliced fennel, celery, carrot slices, Florina pepper, bay leaves and pepper.
- Arrange the octopus evenly over the vegetables, ensuring that the tentacles and head are separated.
- Turn the heat to medium-low and cover with the lid and boil for about 1 hour, until the octopus is soft.
- Check with the knife to see if it is ready after 1 hour (it must be soft). When ready, remove from heat and allow to cool.
Souvlaki wrap:
- Place a pan over medium heat and toast the wraps. As soon as they are ready, set them aside.
- Skewer the tentacles and grill them for 1 to 2 minutes to maintain their shape.
To serve:
- Place the octopus, tomato, French fries and fish roe dip in the wraps, fold and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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