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Try this deep-fried salt and pepper octopus

<p>Time to prepare 40 mins | Cooking Time 2 mins | Serves 6</p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Never cooked octopus at home? Try this easy entrée recipe today!</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Deep-frying, when done properly, is a great way to cook seafood. It’s fast, cooking most foods in a few minutes, it quickly seals the food’s surface, locking in flavour and moisture and it adds appealing crunch, colour and aroma.</span></p> <p><strong>Ingredients</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">1kg baby octopus, cleaned and cut into small pieces </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">2 tablespoons fish sauce </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">2 tablespoons lemon juice </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">1 tablespoon crushed coriander seeds </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">2 tablespoons salt flakes, crushed </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">1 tablespoon crushed white peppercorns </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">2 cups tapioca starch </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vegetable oil, for deep-frying</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>Directions</strong></p> <p>1. Place octopus, fish sauce and lemon juice in a bowl and marinate for 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry.</p> <p>2. Place chilli, coriander, salt, pepper and cornflour in a large freezer bag, add the octopus and shake well to coat. Place octopus in a colander and shake well to remove excess flour.</p> <p>3. Heat oil in a wok or deep-fryer to 190ºC. Add octopus and cook for 1-2 minutes, until crisp and tender.</p> <p><strong>Tips</strong></p> <ul> <li><span style="font-weight: 400;">Alternative species: Calamari, cuttlefish, squid, green prawns (peeled and deveined).  </span></li> <li><span style="font-weight: 400;">Season: Available year round. </span></li> <li><span style="font-weight: 400;">To Buy: When purchasing fresh whole Octopus look for intact bright skin, intact head and arms, and a pleasant fresh sea smell. </span></li> <li><span style="font-weight: 400;">To Store: Make sure Octopus is gutted and cleaned thoroughly. Wrap in plastic wrap or place in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months below -18ºC.</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Republished with permission of </span><a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/recipes/deep-fried-salt-and-pepper-octopus.aspx"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wyza.com.au.</span></a></p>

Food & Wine

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Rare giant octopus spotted near far north Queensland

<p>A mystery giant creature was sighted near Great Detached Reef in Far North Queensland.</p> <p>Marine experts have now confirmed that the creature was in fact a giant octopus.</p> <p>Great Barrier Reef Legacy, the Reef’s only independent research vessel, shared a photo of the giant creature to Instagram and share some interesting trivia about the species.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media"> <div style="padding: 8px;"> <div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 30.324074074074076% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"> <div style="background: url(data:image/png; base64,ivborw0kggoaaaansuheugaaacwaaaascamaaaapwqozaaaabgdbtueaalgpc/xhbqaaaafzukdcak7ohokaaaamuexurczmzpf399fx1+bm5mzy9amaaadisurbvdjlvzxbesmgces5/p8/t9furvcrmu73jwlzosgsiizurcjo/ad+eqjjb4hv8bft+idpqocx1wjosbfhh2xssxeiyn3uli/6mnree07uiwjev8ueowds88ly97kqytlijkktuybbruayvh5wohixmpi5we58ek028czwyuqdlkpg1bkb4nnm+veanfhqn1k4+gpt6ugqcvu2h2ovuif/gwufyy8owepdyzsa3avcqpvovvzzz2vtnn2wu8qzvjddeto90gsy9mvlqtgysy231mxry6i2ggqjrty0l8fxcxfcbbhwrsyyaaaaaelftksuqmcc); display: block; height: 44px; margin: 0 auto -44px; position: relative; top: -22px; width: 44px;"></div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bbc7wuZg2Yw/" target="_blank">A post shared by Great Barrier Reef Legacy (@gbrlegacy)</a> on Nov 13, 2017 at 2:24pm PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“This HUGE octopus was seen at the surface being circled by several large whaler sharks before it descended back into the deep,” the post wrote.</p> <p>“@bungiehelicopters who took the photo was put in contact with Great Barrier Reef Legacy scientists to help confirm what they had found up near Great Detached Reef in the far north. With the help of Dr Julian Finn of Museum Victoria the animal has been tentatively identified as a Blanket Octopus or a Tremoctopus with this female estimated to be at least 1.4m long.”</p> <p>“Amazingly the male of the species grows only to 2.4cm making this species the winner when it comes to size differences between sexes!”</p> <p>The post by Great Barrier Reef Legacy explained that the team will be heading to the same location for the “Search for the Super Corals” expedition.</p> <p>The team said that will definitely keep their eyes open for any more sightings of the huge octopus.</p> <p>It just goes to show how little we really know about the Great Barrier Reef.</p> <p>Have you ever visited the Great Barrier Reef? Share your experience with us in the comments below. </p>

Cruising

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Inky the octopus makes daring aquarium escape

<p>In something that seems like a scene from <em>Finding Nemo</em>, an octopus has made an escape from the National Aquarium of New Zealand, breaking out of its tank before sliding down a 50 metre drainpipe before eventually disappearing into the sea.</p> <p>Inky, who is a common New Zealand octopus, was given an inch and took a mile when he found out his aquarium door was left slightly ajar overnight.</p> <p>But as you see in the pictures below, Inky’s escape was no walk (or slide) in the park.</p> <p><img width="500" height="624" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/18554/octopus-in-text-_500x624.jpg" alt="Octopus In Text -" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p> </p> <p>Rob Yarrell, national manager of the National Aquarium of New Zealand said, “Octopuses are famous escape artists. But Inky really tested the waters here. I don’t think he was unhappy with us, or lonely, as octopus are solitary creatures. But he is such a curious boy. He would want to know what’s happening on the outside. That’s just his personality.”</p> <p>Inky was brought to the aquarium by a local fisherman a number of years ago. </p> <p>According to Mr Yarrell, Inky  was an “unusually intelligent” octopus.</p> <p>Mr Yarrell said, “He was very friendly, very inquisitive, and a popular attraction here. We have another octopus, Blotchy, but he is smaller than Inky, and Inky had the personality.”</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/02/vintage-photos-capture-pure-innocence-of-children/">Vintage photos capture the pure innocence of children</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/02/how-to-bring-up-a-happy-child/">22 tips for bringing up a happy child</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/02/heartwarming-photos-that-prove-every-child-needs-a-pet/">15 heartwarming photos that prove every child needs a pet</a></em></strong></span></p>

News

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Scientists discover ghostlike octopus

<p>Scientists in Hawaii may have discovered a new species of octopus.</p> <p>In the video above we see footage taken by an exploratory vessel for the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration, which found the creature while collecting geological samples in the Hawaiian Archipelago on the northeast side of Necker Island.</p> <p>The vehicle was exploring depths of 4,000 metres when it discovered the octopus.</p> <p>“It is almost certainly an undescribed species and may not belong to any described genus,” wrote Michael Vecchione of the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service.</p> <p>“This animal was particularly unusual because it lacked the pigment cells, called chromatophores, typical of most cephalopods, and it did not seem very muscular.</p> <p>“This resulted in a ghostlike appearance, leading to a comment on social media that it should be called Casper, like the friendly cartoon ghost.”</p> <p>Check out the creature in the video above.</p> <p>It just goes to show you that there’s still so much we don’t know about what’s going on in the depths of the ocean.  </p> <p><em>Video credit: YouTube / Sarah Laskow</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/news/news/2016/03/couple-give-60-million-lottery-away/"><strong>Couple gives $60 million lottery win away</strong></a></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/news/news/2016/03/find-letter-t-image-puzzle/"><strong>Can you find the letter “T” in this image?</strong></a></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/news/news/2016/03/stunning-images-antarctica-remote-beauty/"><strong>Stunning images of Antarctica’s remote beauty</strong></a></em></span></p> <p> </p>

News

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Newly discovered octopus so adorable it may be called “adorabilis”

<p>While she may look like the ghost from the Pac-Man video game, she’s anything but spooky. In fact, this newly discovered fist-sized pink octopus is so cute scientist wanted to call her “Opisthoteuthis Adorabilis.”</p> <p>Stephanie Bush of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in the US is the scientist behind the push to name the newly discovered species, which is a form of Flapjack octopus</p> <p>“New species are discovered every year, not all of them get described, it can take a lot of time, years sometimes,” she said.</p> <p>While it may seem a tad unscientific, other species have been similarly deemed adorable – such as Lophornis adorabilis, the White-crested Coquette hummingbird.</p> <p>“I don't see any obvious reason why it would be inappropriate,” said Bush. “It's easy to pronounce and popular with the public.”</p> <p>Aside from how it looks, scientists don't know much more about the new octopus. It lives in deep cold waters, and the 12 that have been studied so far have all been female.</p> <p>“They spend most of their time on the bottom, sitting on the sediment, but they need to move around to find food and mates,” Bush said.</p> <p><strong>Related links: </strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/news/news/2015/06/everest-moves-after-earthquake/">Mount Everest has shifted since Nepal earthquake</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/news/news/2015/06/boy-walks-for-charity/">Meet the little boy doing a big walk for charity every week</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/news/news/2015/06/taxi-drivers-gives-ride-to-ducks/">This taxi driver gave a ride to some ducks in need</a></strong></em></span></p>

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Top tips for prepping and cooking octopus

<p>There’s no denying that octopus looks like an intimidating ingredient. It’s certainly not an animal you’d want to encounter in the open sea. However, despite all outward appearances this rubbery creature is quite simple to prep and cook. So if you’ve always felt a bit hesitant to tackle the octopus, our tips will help you ensure tender, moist and delicious octopus every time.</p><p><strong>Preparation</strong></p><p>Octopus is tough but an easy way to tenderise it is to simply freeze and defrost it. The freezing and defrosting process causes moisture from the muscle to expand and burst the cell walls, which softens the meat. If you feel like fresh octopus or just want to ensure it’s extra tender, beat it with a meat tenderiser or slap it on the kitchen bench continuously for at least 40 times, that is according to the Mediterranean’s and they do know their octopus. Remember you don’t have to use excessive force, the aim is to tenderise not pulverise!</p><p>With the octopus lying flat, hold up the tentacles from the body and slice it off at the base. It might look difficult but a sharp knife will easily slice those rubbery tentacles. Repeat with all other tentacles.</p><p>Once finished you’ll be left with the head and the middle piece that held all the tentacles. Cut them in two and discard the hard middle piece.</p><p>Cut the head in half and remove the ink sack and innards. This step can be skipped if you’ve asked the fish monger to clean it up for you. The head should be cooked as well as the tentacles.</p><p><strong>Cooking</strong></p><p>Poaching the octopus should be the preliminary step before all your octopus cooking. It will ensure that your octopus is tender before you BBQ, smoke, braise, grill or eat it by itself.</p><p>Bring a large pot of salted water to simmer. Slowly lower to octopus with some tongs or hooks. All the tentacles should curl up at the same rate. Once the octopus is fully submerged, adjust the temperature so the water is steaming but not bubbling. Cook for approximately 30 to 45 minutes or until tender (able to be pierced with a fork). Remove from water. You can even remove skin by rubbing the legs.</p><p>Now enjoy the octopus like you wish whether you want to BBQ it, grill it or throw it in a salad. You can store cooked octopus in the fridge for 2 to 3 days, which is perfect if you want to prep the octopus first before a summer barbeque with friends and family.</p>

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