"At Erizo in Portland, Oregon, chef Jacob Harth prepares the 10-foot-long sea creature. This type of octopus, which is plentiful in this part of the country, usually weighs anywhere from 20 to 100 pounds, and measures 10 to 12 feet in length. The tough octopus is difficult to cook, so the chef freezes and unfreezes it several times to help tenderize it before embarking on the ancient Japanese technique of dunking it in boiling water to get the tentacles to curl. The tentacles are then grilled over an open flame, and brushed with a shitake mushroom paste." - Terri Ciccone
