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Sheet Pan Octopus with Kohlrabi and Gochujang

Tender cooked octopus is roasted on one sheet pan with golden kohlrabi and finished with a sticky gochujang glaze. Poaching does the tenderizing, and the oven adds only color and char.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Korean-inspired
Calories: 380
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • For the sheet pan
  • 1 1/2 lb 680 g cooked octopus tentacles, thawed if frozen
  • 3 medium kohlrabi bulbs about 680 g, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch (1.3 cm) pieces
  • 2 tbsp 30 ml neutral oil
  • 1/2 tsp 3 g salt
  • For the gochujang glaze
  • 3 tbsp about 55 g gochujang
  • 1 tbsp 21 g honey
  • 1 tbsp 15 ml soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp 15 ml rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp 5 ml toasted sesame oil
  • 2 garlic cloves grated
  • 1 tbsp 15 ml warm water
  • To finish
  • 2 tbsp 12 g sliced green onions
  • 1 tsp 3 g sesame seeds
  • 4 lime wedges
  • If starting from raw adds about 1 1/2 hours
  • 1 cleaned octopus about 2 1/2 lb (1.1 kg)
  • Water to cover a few smashed garlic cloves, 2 bay leaves, 1 halved lemon, and 2 tbsp (36 g) salt, for the poaching liquid

Method
 

  1. If starting from raw, poach the octopus (1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes). Bring the poaching liquid to a boil, dip the octopus in and out three times so the tentacles curl, then submerge it and keep the water at a bare simmer. Weigh it down with a small heatproof plate if it bobs up. It is ready when a paring knife slides in easily at the thickest part. Turn off the heat, let it sit in the liquid for 15 minutes, then cool it on a board. Skip this step if your octopus is already cooked.
  2. Heat the oven. Place a rack in the middle and heat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Line a large sheet pan with parchment.
  3. Prep the kohlrabi (about 10 minutes). Cut off the stems and roots, peel off the tough outer skin with a vegetable peeler, and cut the bulbs into 1/2-inch (1.3 cm) pieces. Toss them with the oil and salt, and spread them in a single layer with space between pieces.
  4. Roast the kohlrabi (15 minutes). The pieces should begin to turn golden at the edges and smell sweet and nutty.
  5. Mix the glaze and dry the octopus. While the kohlrabi roasts, whisk the gochujang, honey, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, and warm water until smooth. Cut large tentacles into 3-inch (7.5 cm) pieces and pat everything very dry with paper towels. Dry octopus chars. Wet octopus steams.
  6. Add the octopus (10 minutes). Push the kohlrabi aside and add the octopus to the pan. Roast until the tentacle tips look darker and slightly crisp and the thicker parts are hot.
  7. Glaze (about 4 minutes). Brush the octopus with about half of the glaze and roast until it turns glossy, sticky, and deep red-brown at the edges. Watch closely, because honey and gochujang darken fast.
  8. Finish and serve. Toss the octopus and kohlrabi with the remaining glaze, sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds, and serve with lime wedges. The kohlrabi should be tender in the center and golden at the edges.