How long do I cook octopus for Thassos octopus fritters?

Cook 1kg cleaned octopus with bay leaf and dry white wine over low heat for 45 to 60 minutes. The octopus is ready when a small knife slips easily into the thickest arm. Do not salt the cooking liquid because octopus is naturally briny.

How finely should I chop octopus for htapodokeftedes?

Chop cooked octopus by hand into pieces no larger than a lentil. Pat the cooled octopus dry before chopping so the fritter mixture binds cleanly. Fine chopped octopus keeps Thassos htapodokeftedes tender in the center without watering down the flour, egg, herb, and ouzo batter.

What temperature should the oil be for frying Greek octopus fritters?

Heat 2cm of olive oil or light olive oil to 175C before frying Greek octopus fritters. Drop heaped tablespoons of batter into the oil, flatten lightly, and fry for 2 to 3 minutes per side until the edges are deep brown and the centers are set.

Why is my octopus fritter batter too loose?

Octopus fritter batter is too loose when the octopus was not dried well or the flour has not fully hydrated. Rest the mixture in the refrigerator for 20 minutes first. If the batter still runs from the spoon, add plain flour 1 tablespoon at a time until it holds its shape.

Can I make Thassos htapodokeftedes ahead of time?

Cook the octopus up to 1 day ahead, cool it in its cooking liquid, then drain, dry, and chop it before mixing. The prepared htapodokeftedes mixture can rest refrigerated for up to 4 hours. Fry the fritters just before serving for the crispest edges.

Can I make these Greek octopus fritters for strict fasting?

This Thassos octopus fritter recipe is Lenten-style but not strict nistisimo because it contains 1 large egg. For a fasting version, leave out the egg and add 20g more plain flour with 2 tablespoons of the octopus cooking liquid to help bind the mixture.

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Thassos Htapodokeftedes (Χταποδοκεφτέδες)

Name: Thassos Htapodokeftedes (Χταποδοκεφτέδες)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h 10 min
Total time: 1 h 35 min
Yield: 6 servings as a meze
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 1kg cleaned octopus, fresh or fully thawed; 1 bay leaf; 60ml dry white wine; 1 small red onion, 100g, finely grated; 2 spring onions, finely sliced; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 20g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; 12g fresh mint leaves, finely chopped; 8g dill, finely chopped; 1 teaspoon dried Greek oregano; 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to finish; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1 large egg; 45ml ouzo; 120g plain flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 500ml olive oil or light olive oil, for frying; 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Created by

Thassos octopus fritters are a fasting-table meze: tender boiled octopus, onion, mint, dill and a splash of ouzo, fried until the edges turn dark and crisp.

Appetizers & Snacks

Greek

Easter

Dinner Party

Budget Friendly

25 min

Active Time

1 hr 10 min cook•1 hr 35 min total

Yield6 servings as a meze

Htapodokeftedes belong to the islands, and this Thassos version is a little dark, a little briny, and fragrant with mint and ouzo. The octopus is cooked first until tender, then chopped small and folded into a thick batter with onion and herbs. They should taste of the sea, not of flour.

The method that decides them is patience before the frying pan. Boil the octopus gently until a knife slips into the thickest part, then let it cool and dry before you chop it. Wet octopus loosens the batter and makes heavy fritters. Dry, tender octopus gives you a crisp outside and a soft, savory middle.

Serve them hot or warm with lemon and a small glass of ouzo. During Lent, octopus has long sat on Greek fasting tables because shellfish and mollusks are allowed when meat and dairy are not. Λίγα και καλά: good octopus, herbs, oil, and no fuss.

Htapodokeftedes are tied to the Aegean islands, where octopus was preserved by drying in the sun and stretched into meze for households and kafeneia. On Thassos, the dish belongs naturally to Lenten and name-day tables, since octopus is permitted under Orthodox fasting rules while meat, eggs and dairy are set aside. The ouzo in the batter is not decoration; it marks the northern Aegean table, where anise and seafood have kept company for generations.

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Ingredients

cleaned octopus (htapodi)

Quantity

1kg

fresh or fully thawed

bay leaf

Quantity

dry white wine

Quantity

60ml

small red onion

Quantity

100g

finely grated

spring onions

Quantity

finely sliced

garlic cloves

Quantity

minced

flat-leaf parsley

Quantity

20g

finely chopped

fresh mint leaves

Quantity

12g

finely chopped

dill

Quantity

finely chopped

dried Greek oregano

Quantity

1 teaspoon

fine sea salt

Quantity

1 teaspoon

plus more to finish

freshly ground black pepper

Quantity

1/2 teaspoon

large egg

Quantity

ouzo

Quantity

45ml

plain flour

Quantity

120g

baking powder

Quantity

1 teaspoon

olive oil or light olive oil

Quantity

500ml

for frying

lemon

Quantity

cut into wedges

Ingredient	Quantity
cleaned octopus (htapodi)fresh or fully thawed	1kg
bay leaf	1
dry white wine	60ml
small red onionfinely grated	100g
spring onionsfinely sliced	2
garlic clovesminced	2
flat-leaf parsleyfinely chopped	20g
fresh mint leavesfinely chopped	12g
dillfinely chopped	8g
dried Greek oregano	1 teaspoon
fine sea saltplus more to finish	1 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper	1/2 teaspoon
large egg	1
ouzo	45ml
plain flour	120g
baking powder	1 teaspoon
olive oil or light olive oilfor frying	500ml
lemoncut into wedges	1

Equipment Needed

•heavy pot with lid, 24cm
•wide heavy frying pan, 28cm
•wire rack set over a tray
•instant-read thermometer for the oil

Instructions

1
Cook the octopus
Put the octopus in a heavy pot with the bay leaf and wine. Cover and set over low heat. Let it cook in its own liquid for 45 to 60 minutes, turning once, until a small knife slips easily into the thickest arm. Do not add salt here; octopus brings enough of the sea with it.
2
Cool and chop
Lift the octopus onto a plate and let it cool until you can handle it. Pat it dry well, then chop it finely with a knife, pieces no larger than a lentil. This is the step that keeps the fritter honest: tender octopus, dried before chopping, binds cleanly instead of watering down the batter.
Save the cooking liquid for a seafood rice or a bean pot. It is too good for the sink.
3
Mix the batter
Put the chopped octopus in a bowl with the grated red onion, spring onions, garlic, parsley, mint, dill, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir in the egg and ouzo. Sprinkle over the flour and baking powder, then fold until you have a thick, spoonable mixture. It should hold its shape on a spoon, not run.
4
Rest the mixture
Cover the bowl and rest it in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. The flour hydrates, the herbs settle into the octopus, and the mixture firms enough to fry without scattering in the oil.
5
Fry in batches
Heat 2cm of oil in a wide frying pan to 175C. Drop heaped tablespoons of mixture into the oil, flattening them lightly with the back of the spoon. Fry in small batches for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until deep brown at the edges and set in the middle.
6
Drain and serve
Move the fritters to a rack or paper-lined tray and salt them lightly while hot. Serve at once with lemon wedges. They are best when the edge is crisp and the center is still tender.

Chef Tips

•Buy octopus that smells clean and faintly briny, never sharp. Frozen octopus is welcome here, because freezing helps tenderize the flesh. That isn't a compromise, it's how many Greek kitchens manage it.
•If the batter feels loose after resting, add flour one tablespoon at a time. Stop as soon as it holds on the spoon. Too much flour makes a bread fritter with an octopus accent, and we didn't come for that.
•These belong beside lemon, olives, horta, taramasalata during the fast, and a small glass of ouzo. Since the recipe uses egg, it is not strict nistisimo; for a fasting version, leave out the egg and add 20g more flour with 2 tablespoons of the octopus cooking liquid.

Advance Preparation

•Cook the octopus up to 1 day ahead, cool it in its liquid, then drain, dry and chop before mixing.
•The fritter mixture can rest in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours before frying.
•Fry just before serving. Leftovers keep 1 day chilled, but the crisp edge belongs to the first frying.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 150g)

Calories

370 calories

Total Fat

18 g

Saturated Fat

3 g

Trans Fat

0 g

Unsaturated Fat

15 g

Cholesterol

110 mg

Sodium

960 mg

Total Carbohydrates

23 g

Dietary Fiber

2 g

Sugars

1 g

Protein

29 g

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Culinary Explorer

Thassos Htapodokeftedes (Χταποδοκεφτέδες)

The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.

Ingredients

cleaned octopus (htapodi)

bay leaf

dry white wine

small red onion

spring onions

garlic cloves

flat-leaf parsley

fresh mint leaves

dill

dried Greek oregano

fine sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

large egg

ouzo

plain flour

baking powder

olive oil or light olive oil

lemon

Equipment Needed

Instructions

Cook the octopus

Cool and chop

Mix the batter

Rest the mixture

Fry in batches

Drain and serve

Chef Tips

Advance Preparation

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

Where cooking meets culture.

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