Ingredients
| OCTOPUS | |
| 800g octopus tentacles (cleaned) | |
| 20ml red wine vinegar | |
| 5g peppercorns | |
| 30ml olive oil | |
| ½ shallot, sliced | |
| 3 cloves garlic, crushed | |
| 15g salt | |
| 1 bay leaf | |
| 2–3 lemon slices | |
| lemon juice, to taste | |
| POTATOES | |
| 500g potatoes, whole, skin on (a waxy variety is best) | |
| olive oil, for drizzling | |
| 100g salted butter | |
| 3 teaspoons paprika | |
| lemon zest, to finish | |
| ROMESCO WITH FETA | |
| 2 red capsicums | |
| 2 ripe tomatoes | |
| olive oil, to drizzle | |
| 100g blanched almonds | |
| 100g blanched hazelnuts | |
| 100g sourdough bread, torn into chunks | |
| 3 cloves garlic | |
| 1 shallot, chopped | |
| 2 sundried tomatoes | |
| 10g paprika, or to taste | |
| 15g honey | |
| sherry vinegar, to taste | |
| 100g feta | |
| lemon zest | |
| HERB DRESSING | |
| 20g basil, leaves picked | |
| 10g mint, leaves picked | |
| 10g fresh oregano, leaves picked | |
| 30ml red wine vinegar | |
| 28g sugar | |
| 60g neutral oil or light olive oil | |
| CRISPY CUPS |
Instructions
| 1. | There are a few options to cook the octopus before grilling it to serve. |
| 2. | TO COOK ON THE STOVETOP: Put the octopus into a heavy pot with all the ingredients except the lemon juice and add enough water to cover. |
| 3. | Bring to a simmer (75℃-80℃ if you have a thermometer) and simmer on the lowest possible heat, lid on, for about 4-5 hours, checking the water temperature occasionally. |
| 4. | TO COOK IN THE OVEN:Heat the oven to 80°C. |
| 5. | Put the octopus into a heavy pot with the all the ingredients except the lemon juice and add enough water to cover. |
| 6. | Bring to a simmer (75℃-80℃ if you have a thermometer), cover the pot and cook in the oven for 4-5 hours. |
| 7. | TO STEAM:Note: for this method you don’t use the vinegar, peppercorns or olive oil. |
| 8. | It’s recommended to freeze and thaw the octopus beforehand – this helps break down muscle fibres naturally and makes it more tender. |
| 9. | Rub the octopus with a little salt. |
| 10. | Line the bottom of the steamer basket with the aromatics (shallot, garlic, bay leaf, lemon slices) for a subtle flavour infusion. |
| 11. | Put the octopus on top of the aromatics. |
| 12. | Bring the water in the steamer pot to a good simmer (90°C-95°C if you have a thermometer) but not a rolling boil. |
| 13. | Put the steamer basket above the water, cover tightly with a lid and steam for 1½-2½ hours, depending on the size of the octopus and the texture you’re aiming for. |
| 14. | To check for doneness, insert a knife or skewer into the thickest part of a tentacle – it should go in with minimal resistance and the meat should be tender but not mushy. |
| 15. | Before serving, grill the octopus to get a light char, then dice into small pieces. |
| 16. | Dress with the herb dressing and season with salt and lemon juice to taste. |
| 17. | POTATOES |
| 18. | Steam the potatoes until just tender but still firm. |
| 19. | While warm, drizzle lightly with olive oil and season with salt. Cool completely in the fridge. |
| 20. | Once chilled, you can peel the skins off if you prefer. |
| 21. | Dice the potatoes into small, even cubes. |
| 22. | In a pan, brown the butter gently over a medium heat until it smells nutty. |
| 23. | Add the paprika and stir through, then add the diced potatoes. |
| 24. | Pan-fry lightly until the potatoes are golden on the edges but still tender. |
| 25. | Gently toss in the lemon zest and set aside until ready to assemble. |
| 26. | ROMESCO WITH FETA |
| 27. | Roast the capsicums with a drizzle of oil at 160℃ for 30 minutes or until soft. |
| 28. | Grill the tomatoes with a little olive oil and salt until blistered and soft. |
| 29. | Put the roasted veges into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave to steam for 30 minutes. |
| 30. | Once cool enough to handle, peel off the skins. |
| 31. | Toss the almonds, hazelnuts and bread in a little olive oil with a pinch of salt and roast at at 160℃ until golden, about 20 minutes. |
| 32. | In a saucepan, sauté the garlic, shallot and sundried tomatoes with a little oil until soft. |
| 33. | Add the roasted capsicums, tomatoes, roasted nuts, bread, paprika and honey. Stir and simmer gently for. |
| 34. | Blend the mixture until smooth. Add the sherry vinegar and season lightly with salt. |
| 35. | Let the mixture cool completely, then blend again with the feta and lemon zest to a creamy texture. |
| 36. | Adjust seasoning to taste. Transfer to a piping bag for assembling |
| 37. | HERB DRESSING |
| 38. | Combine all ingredients in a blender, blending quickly to avoid discolouration. Refrigerate immediately. |
| 39. | TIP: To retain the vibrant green colour, if the dressing is warm after blending, put it into a bowl set over an ice bath. |
| 40. | CRISPY CUPS |
| 41. | Heat the oven to 180℃. |
| 42. | Cut the wrappers into squares or rounds that will fit mini tart tins. |
| 43. | Layer two sheets into each tart tin and bake with a weight on top for 25 minutes. |
| 44. | Cool before filling. Alternatively you could use mini filo cups (usually in the freezer section at the supermarket). |
| 45. | TO SERVE |
| 46. | Warm the potatoes and octopus gently before serving. |
| 47. | Fill each cup halfway with the potato mix. |
| 48. | Top with dressed grilled octopus. |
| 49. | Pipe a small dollop of romesco with feta on top. |
| 50. | Dust lightly with extra paprika for presentation. |
Erin Cave from Ilk Photography