Seasonal Catch · Grilled Octopus
Poulpe Grillé (Grilled Octopus)
📷 Closely related photo — Photo: Misaochan / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
It only shows up on the port's hot plates in season, roughly October through May, so regulars time their visits around when the octopus boats are actually running.
Whole octopus is grilled directly on the same hot plates used for the port's fish, served alongside the day's other catch with bread and salad. Vendors buy it fresh off the boats and cook it to order for lunch crowds at the port.
Why it's made this way: Octopus is one of the cold-water Atlantic species that makes Essaouira's port catch distinct from the warmer Mediterranean seafood found on Morocco's north coast.
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