Add enough water to a large stockpot to fill it at least 2/3 high. Add your herbs and vegetables to the stockpot, as well.  If you have ready made vegetable stock, you could use that instead of using the water and aromatic ingredients. The vegetables and herbs in this recipe primarily exist for the sake of flavoring the octopus. This recipe calls for onion, carrot, leek, bay leaves, parsley, thyme, and peppercorn, but you could change the vegetables and herbs to nearly any other set of aromatics you have available. Heat the stockpot over high heat until a rolling boil develops. Let boil for 5 minutes or so. By letting the herbs and vegetables boil in the water before you add the octopus, you help draw the flavor of these aromatics into the water, creating the beginnings of a vegetable stock. Add all the tentacles and body pieces to the boiling water. The water will slow after you add the octopus, so let it come to a rapid boil again before pressing forward. This recipe works best when the octopus has already been cut into separate tentacles and head pieces. Do not, however, cut the octopus further into smaller chunks. The octopus can still cook if cut smaller, but it is not recommended for aesthetic reasons. This could take anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes.  Test the meat with a fork after 5 minutes. It will not be ready yet, but doing so will give you an idea of how it feels when it is still too tough. Pierce the meat again after 15 minutes and note the difference in tenderness. When ready, the meat of the octopus should practically be falling off the fork as you lift it out of the broth. Boiled octopus is generally cut into slices and served with rice or in salad, but you can also enjoy it on its own. You can strain and reserve the water, if desired, for use as seafood stock.
املأ قدرًا كبيرًا بالماء والأعشاب. اغلِّ المرق. أضف الأخطبوط. قم بتغطيته وطهيه حتى يصبح طريًا. أخرِج الأخطبوط وقدمه.