{"id":25596,"date":"2018-10-05T16:10:43","date_gmt":"2018-10-05T20:10:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev-gordon-food-service-canada.pantheonsite.io\/ideas\/reaching-for-octopus\/"},"modified":"2025-07-01T11:32:59","modified_gmt":"2025-07-01T15:32:59","slug":"reaching-for-octopus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gfs.ca\/en-ca\/ideas\/reaching-for-octopus\/","title":{"rendered":"Reaching for Octopus"},"content":{"rendered":"

Once a leading-edge dish, this star of modern seafood starts to latch on in mainstream dining.<\/h2>\n

Octopus has gained traction on menus across the country, propelled by the modern seafood<\/a> trend, which sees chefs applying flavour-forward techniques to seafood-centric shareables, snacks and more.<\/p>\n

Gordon Food Service\u00a0Corporate Consulting Chef Gerry Ludwig, CEC, points out the great opportunity with octopus. \u201cIt\u2019s extremely versatile, the price is reasonable and it offers great menu differentiation,\u201d he says. He also notes today\u2019s diners see it as more special than most seafood. Most consumers won\u2019t cook it at home, which adds to its menu allure.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd on top of that, octopus brings dramatic plate presentation, wowing with long, curled tentacles,\u201d Ludwig says. \u201cWe also think it\u2019s primed for handhelds, like parathas, naan and tacos.\u201d<\/p>\n

During a research tour, Ludwig and his team saw a tremendous amount of creative menu applications featuring octopus<\/a>. He shares four ways chefs are menuing octopus with opportunity for wider menu translation.<\/p>\n

Octopus partners with other seafood<\/h3>\n

\u201cOctopus is really nice in seafood stews like a cioppino or bouillabaise,\u201d Ludwig says. It adds a nice heartiness to those kind of broth-based dishes. Paella, other seafood fried rice dishes and seafood medleys over pasta also welcome octopus to the mix.<\/p>\n

Menu Example:
\nSeafood Bourride with shrimp, scallops, octopus, tuna, leek, pepper, zucchini\u2014Biff\u2019s Bistro, Toronto<\/p>\n

Creamy Sauces<\/h3>\n

The prevalent sauce treatments we\u2019ve seen paired with octopus are creamy and rich, like mayonnaise, cream-based sauces or a\u00efoli-based spreads or sauces. Compound butters and butter sauces work well with grilled octopus, highlighting the meatiness.<\/p>\n

Menu Example:
\nOctopus a la Gallega: Olive oil poached octopus, potatoes, a\u00efoli, Espelette, paprika\u2014Bocata, Montreal<\/p>\n

Bean pur\u00e9es<\/h3>\n

Another treatment was bean pur\u00e9e. \u201cChefs are making a flavourful bean-based pur\u00e9e and using it as base sauce for the octopus,\u201d Ludwig says. It\u2019s fueled by the veg-centric movement and the interest in Mediterranean flavours.<\/p>\n

Menu Examples:
\nGrilled Za\u2019atar-spiced Octopus served with baba ganoush, hummus and labneh, finished with pomegranate seeds\u2014Tuck Shop, Montr\u00e9al
\nBraised Octopus with grilled pineapple, squid ink bean pur\u00e9e, harissa sauce, mix greens\u2014Blu Ristorante, Toronto<\/p>\n

Boldly flavoured meat pairings<\/h3>\n

We found octopus marries well with boldly flavoured meats, lingui\u00e7a, hams, smoked sausage\u2014any meat with an assertive profile. It\u2019s a classic pairing in Spanish cuisine. Chefs are taking that flavour and texture combination and deepening the umami.<\/p>\n

Menu Examples:
\nGrilled Octopus with farro salad, cherry tomatoes, chimichurri, fennel salami\u2014Terroir Kitchen, Vancouver
\nGrilled Octopus with glazed pork belly, parsnip pur\u00e9e, apple and kale salad, crispy lentils\u2014Rasa, Toronto
\nRed wine-braised octopus with smoked pork belly, charred eggplant, fennel\u2014L’Abattoir, Vancouver<\/p>\n

Culinary Tips<\/h3>\n

Ludwig and the Gordon Food Service culinary team have developed this method to create tender, flavourful octopus:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Use flavourful braising liquids that won\u2019t overpower the octopus, such as seafood stock with a mix of mirepoix, aromatics, and red wine or sherry vinegar<\/li>\n
  • Bring the liquid to a boil, dip tentacles so they seize up and curl, then turn to simmer and put tentacles in<\/li>\n
  • Slow-simmer the octopus, testing it with a fork for doneness; when you can pierce the skin without getting a grab, it\u2019s done (don\u2019t overcook, or the suckers will come right off)<\/li>\n
  • Grill or pan-sear cooked octopus until nicely charred and crispy<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Learn More<\/h3>\n

    Ask your Sales Representative about our recipes for both flavour-forward octopus dishes and product information on our frozen whole octopus product.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Once a leading-edge dish, this star of modern seafood starts to latch on in mainstream dining. Octopus has gained traction on menus across the country, propelled by the modern seafood trend, which sees chefs applying flavour-forward techniques to seafood-centric shareables, snacks and more. Gordon Food Service\u00a0Corporate Consulting Chef Gerry Ludwig, CEC, points out the great […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":26898,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[122,68,123,112],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25596","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-catering-small-business","category-culinary-ideas","category-hotels-hospitality","category-restaurant-bars"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nReaching for Octopus | Gordon Food Service<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/gfs.ca\/en-ca\/ideas\/reaching-for-octopus\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Reaching for Octopus\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Once a leading-edge dish, this star of modern seafood starts to latch on in mainstream dining. 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