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1
Thaw the octopus. Note: you may be compelled to buy fresh octopus. I urge you to go with frozen. The freezing and unfreezing serves to tenderize what can be a very tough cephalopod.
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2
Bring a pot of salted water-salty as the sea-to a boil with the juniper berries, peppercorn, and bay leaves. Reduce to a simmer, and place the octopus in the water. Simmer for an hour or so. Poke it with a sharp knife periodically to check for doneness. It's done when it feels done, which is terrible guidance, but it's a lot like cooking potatoes: when there's no longer any resistance, the octopus is done. The beauty of cooking octopus is that if you overcook it you can actually keep cooking and it'll re-tenderize.
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3
When the octopus is done, remove from the water, and cut the tentacles from the head. Toss with the olive oil, paprika, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
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4
Prepare the grill, preferably charcoal.
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5
When the grill is ready, grill the octopus until crispy, about 2 minutes each side.
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6
Serve with cilantro pesto, below.
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7
Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan, add the garlic, and heat until slightly golden, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Discard the garlic.
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8
In a food processor, puree the cilantro and pepita. With the motor running, slowly pour in the garlicky olive oil until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
