Sometimes I have some leftover octopus or there’s always the octopus heads. Every bit as delicious as the tentacles but not as nice of  presentation. No worries, you can use those leftover heads to make this classic Greek meze – pickled octopus.

This meze keeps for awhile in the fridge and if surprise guests arise, open the the jar and serve with some Ouzo on ice. As always, one must tenderize the octopus and you can follow my easy, foolproof instructions here.

Octopus screams for dried oregano and I’m delighted to showcse you you Krinos’ Mountain Oregano. Ths oregano is pungent, picked from Mount Othrys in Magnissia and this will save me from bringing dried oregano back from Greece!

In the recipe below, I’ve heated the wine vinegar to slightly cook the oregano and prevent any botulism from occurring.

Pickled Octopus (Χταπόδι τουρσί)

(makes 1-2 jars)

1 1/2 – 2lbs of cooked octopus

3/4  cup red wine vinegar

4 cloves of fresh garlic, minced

2 tsp. Krinos organic dried Greek oregano

approx. 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 – 2 sterilized jars

1. Cut up your octopus into 3/4 inch/bite sized pieces  and place in the jars. Now add your vinegar into a small pot and add bring up to a boil over medium heat. Turn the heat off, add the garlic, oregano and olive oil and stir in.
2. Add salt and pepper to taste and pour the dressing into the jars (ensure the octopus is covered). Seal and store in your fridge for up to 1 month.
3. Take some sprigs of dry oregano and skewer the pieces of octopus and garnish with a caper. Serve as a meze with Ouzo on ice.