The Setup: A simple Mediterranean recipe made with just a few ingredients. The octopus cooks slowly in its own juices until beautifully tender, then it’s sliced and finished with Ελfen extra-virgin olive oil, lemon and oregano.
Serves: 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 60–90 minutes
Recipe and cooking by by our own friend and owner of Part Thyme Kitchen podcast (check his profile herehttps://www.instagram.com/partthymekitchen/)
The Ingredients
* 1 cleaned octopus, about 1–1.2 kg, or 4–6 large tentacles
* 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
* 3–4 sprigs fresh thyme
* Zest of 1 lemon
* Juice of ½ lemon
* 80 ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 1 tsp dried oregano
* Salt and pepper, as needed
The Step-By-Step making
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Preheat the oven to 200°C fan.
2. Lay a large sheet of parchment paper over a sheet of aluminium foil.
3. Place the octopus in the centre. Add the sliced onion, thyme, lemon zest and juice, freshly ground black pepper and about half of the olive oil.
4. Wrap the parchment paper tightly around the octopus, then seal everything well with the aluminium foil. There’s no need to add water — the octopus will release its own juices as it cooks.
5. Place the parcel on a baking tray and cook for about 60 minutes. A larger octopus may need 75–90 minutes.
6. Check that the octopus is tender by inserting a knife into the thickest part of a tentacle. It should slide in easily.
7. Let the octopus rest for 5–10 minutes, then slice it into thin pieces.
8. Arrange on a serving plate, drizzle generously with έλfen extra-virgin olive oil and finish with a sprinkle of oregano. Add a little extra lemon juice & salt (optional)
Why This Works for the Creator and the Cook
For the Content Creator: Parchment paper and foil parcels create a built-in narrative reveal. The moment the parcel is unwrapped, capturing the escaping steam, the deep purple-pink hues of the tender octopus, and the final heavy drizzle of έλfen extra-virgin olive oil against the green oregano makes for an effortlessly rich, unfiltered hero shot.
For the Home Chef: It requires almost zero active kitchen time. Because the octopus braises slowly in its natural juices within the pouch, there is no risk of drying it out or ending up with a rubbery texture, leaving you with a virtually foolproof, high-reward Mediterranean classic.
The Unfiltered Rule: Let the parcel do the hard work and let the oil finish the story. Don't slice the tentacles with perfection—keep the cuts rustic, pool the έλfen EVOO generously with the natural pan juices, and serve it straight from the platter with plenty of crusty bread to mop up every drop.
Note: Look for wild-caught octopus from your local fishmonger