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Tako no Karaage (Fried Octopus)
Serves 2 · About 25 min (10 min of this is just letting it sit in the seasoning)
Season boiled octopus with soy sauce and shallow-fry in a little oil.
① Cut the octopus→② Season→③ Coat with potato starch→④ Heat the oil→⑤ Shallow-fry
What to buy
Fish
Vegetables
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How to make it
1
Cut the octopus and pat dry
- Put the octopus on the cutting board and cut into pieces about 2 cm, cutting at an angle and turning it as you go
- Pat dry well with paper towels
How to tell it's doneThe octopus is in even, bite-size pieces, and the surface is not wet.
Be carefulOctopus has a lot of water and makes the oil splatter a lot. Pat it dry well here.
2
Season
- Put the octopus, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sake, and 1/2 tsp each of garlic and ginger in a bowl and rub in with your hands
- Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for 10 minutes
How to tell it's doneThe cut surfaces of the octopus are light brown.
3
Pat dry and coat with potato starch
- Take out the octopus and pat off the liquid well with paper towels
- Spread 3 tbsp potato starch on a tray and roll the octopus in it to coat all over. Tap off the extra
How to tell it's doneThe octopus is covered in white all over, with no wet spots.
4
Heat the oil
- Pour vegetable oil 1 cm deep (about 200 ml) into a frying pan and put over medium heat
- Check the oil temperature: put the tip of dry cooking chopsticks in the oil. If small bubbles keep fizzing from the tip, it's about 170°C. If there are almost no bubbles, it's not hot enough yet. If big bubbles rush out hard, it's too hot, so turn the heat down
How to tell it's doneSmall bubbles keep fizzing from the tip of the chopsticks.
Be carefulOil may splatter. Do not leave while frying. Turn off the heat as soon as you're done, and clean up the oil only after it has cooled completely.
5
Shallow-fry
- Add the octopus half at a time, spaced apart
- Right after adding, hold the frying pan lid up at an angle between you and the pan to block splatters (do not put the lid on)
- After 1 minute, roll them with cooking chopsticks and cook 1 minute more
- Put on a rack or paper towels to drain the oil. Fry the rest the same way, then turn off the heat. Add lemon on the side if you have it
How to tell it's readyThe coating is crisp and set, and light golden brown. Boiled octopus is already cooked, so it is ready to eat once the coating is set.
Be carefulOctopus can pop and splatter hard. Keep your face away. Do not leave the pan while frying. Clean up the oil only after it has cooled completely.
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If it didn't work out
The oil splattered a lotWater was left on it. Pat dry well in steps 1 and 3, and fry right after coating.
The octopus is hard and rubberyFried too long. Boiled octopus is already cooked, so about 2 minutes is enough.
The coating is soggyThe oil was not hot enough, or you added too many at once. Fry half at a time.
The flavor is weakIt did not sit long enough in step 2, or you wiped off too much liquid. This time, sprinkle a pinch of salt.
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