Free: Contests & Raffles.
Quote from: pianoman9701 on April 24, 2013, 11:13:33 AMQuote from: magnanimous_j on April 24, 2013, 10:16:51 AMQuote from: Fishstiq on April 16, 2013, 09:19:58 PMIn all seriousness, has anyone here actually eaten Giant Pacific Octopus? I know people eat a lot of types of octos, but I have never actually known anyone who ate GPO. All the reports I have heard say it's too tough/chewy to actually eat. I imagine that's true, or more people would try to harvest them if they were actually good. I would try it, but not with very high hopes.I catch them by accident sometimes while squid jigging. They are very young juveniles, at their biggest, the size of a dinner plate. They are absolutely delicious sautéd with butter, lemon, shallot and capers. The bigger ones go on the grill. FYI, the only way I’ve figured out how to kill them without a hammer is to drop them into a bucket of fresh water. They die in seconds, but change color really rapidly first. If you just throw them in your bucket, they’ll be running down the dock the next time you turn your back.When I was in Vegas recently, I had an entre of octopus where the tentacles were cut into medallions the size of silver dollars (much bigger than any I have cooked). It was phenomenal. I asked the waiter how it was cooked and he told me the chef wouldn’t tell anyone how he did it, but alluded to some kind of brining. It had a good char on it, so I’m assuming it was grilled as well.I occasionally sell them and the chefs go nuts over them - 30 lbs +. They do have to soak them in milk to get rid of the ureic acid, but really like them a lot.Is there any way to target them if I am not a diver?
Quote from: magnanimous_j on April 24, 2013, 10:16:51 AMQuote from: Fishstiq on April 16, 2013, 09:19:58 PMIn all seriousness, has anyone here actually eaten Giant Pacific Octopus? I know people eat a lot of types of octos, but I have never actually known anyone who ate GPO. All the reports I have heard say it's too tough/chewy to actually eat. I imagine that's true, or more people would try to harvest them if they were actually good. I would try it, but not with very high hopes.I catch them by accident sometimes while squid jigging. They are very young juveniles, at their biggest, the size of a dinner plate. They are absolutely delicious sautéd with butter, lemon, shallot and capers. The bigger ones go on the grill. FYI, the only way I’ve figured out how to kill them without a hammer is to drop them into a bucket of fresh water. They die in seconds, but change color really rapidly first. If you just throw them in your bucket, they’ll be running down the dock the next time you turn your back.When I was in Vegas recently, I had an entre of octopus where the tentacles were cut into medallions the size of silver dollars (much bigger than any I have cooked). It was phenomenal. I asked the waiter how it was cooked and he told me the chef wouldn’t tell anyone how he did it, but alluded to some kind of brining. It had a good char on it, so I’m assuming it was grilled as well.I occasionally sell them and the chefs go nuts over them - 30 lbs +. They do have to soak them in milk to get rid of the ureic acid, but really like them a lot.
Quote from: Fishstiq on April 16, 2013, 09:19:58 PMIn all seriousness, has anyone here actually eaten Giant Pacific Octopus? I know people eat a lot of types of octos, but I have never actually known anyone who ate GPO. All the reports I have heard say it's too tough/chewy to actually eat. I imagine that's true, or more people would try to harvest them if they were actually good. I would try it, but not with very high hopes.I catch them by accident sometimes while squid jigging. They are very young juveniles, at their biggest, the size of a dinner plate. They are absolutely delicious sautéd with butter, lemon, shallot and capers. The bigger ones go on the grill. FYI, the only way I’ve figured out how to kill them without a hammer is to drop them into a bucket of fresh water. They die in seconds, but change color really rapidly first. If you just throw them in your bucket, they’ll be running down the dock the next time you turn your back.When I was in Vegas recently, I had an entre of octopus where the tentacles were cut into medallions the size of silver dollars (much bigger than any I have cooked). It was phenomenal. I asked the waiter how it was cooked and he told me the chef wouldn’t tell anyone how he did it, but alluded to some kind of brining. It had a good char on it, so I’m assuming it was grilled as well.
In all seriousness, has anyone here actually eaten Giant Pacific Octopus? I know people eat a lot of types of octos, but I have never actually known anyone who ate GPO. All the reports I have heard say it's too tough/chewy to actually eat. I imagine that's true, or more people would try to harvest them if they were actually good. I would try it, but not with very high hopes.
Quote from: pianoman9701 on April 24, 2013, 11:13:33 AMQuote from: magnanimous_j on April 24, 2013, 10:16:51 AMQuote from: Fishstiq on April 16, 2013, 09:19:58 PMIn all seriousness, has anyone here actually eaten Giant Pacific Octopus? I know people eat a lot of types of octos, but I have never actually known anyone who ate GPO. All the reports I have heard say it's too tough/chewy to actually eat. I imagine that's true, or more people would try to harvest them if they were actually good. I would try it, but not with very high hopes.I catch them by accident sometimes while squid jigging. They are very young juveniles, at their biggest, the size of a dinner plate. They are absolutely delicious sautéd with butter, lemon, shallot and capers. The bigger ones go on the grill. FYI, the only way I’ve figured out how to kill them without a hammer is to drop them into a bucket of fresh water. They die in seconds, but change color really rapidly first. If you just throw them in your bucket, they’ll be running down the dock the next time you turn your back.When I was in Vegas recently, I had an entre of octopus where the tentacles were cut into medallions the size of silver dollars (much bigger than any I have cooked). It was phenomenal. I asked the waiter how it was cooked and he told me the chef wouldn’t tell anyone how he did it, but alluded to some kind of brining. It had a good char on it, so I’m assuming it was grilled as well.I occasionally sell them and the chefs go nuts over them - 30 lbs +. They do have to soak them in milk to get rid of the ureic acid, but really like them a lot.Is there any way to target them if I am not a diver? They like clay pots. When I get them, it's usually bycatch.
Meaning you can place pots in the water and pull them up with an octopus inside? Any details about when/where/how?
I think it would be tough. From what I understand, the Mediterranean (where they catch them with pot traps) is very shallow and sandy, with very few hiding places for octopus. Here in the NW, the water is deep and rocky, plenty of nooks and crannies to hide in. They probably aren’t as interested in hiding spots.
this is the first I've ever heard of a red octopus.
Quote from: magnanimous_j on April 24, 2013, 01:06:08 PMthis is the first I've ever heard of a red octopus.They are the only other kind of octo in the sound. Their mantle grows to about the size of a tennis ball, no bigger. Still, easy to mistake one for a juvenile GPO. The eyes of a red octo have three tiny "eyelashes" under them, whereas a GPO's eyes are smooth underneath. Easy to remember, "The eyes have it".
