Eat & Drink
Originally published on Monday, 15th December 2008
Grilled Octopus with Romesco and Charred Lemons
Serves 4
Like squid, there is a lot of rubbery, overcooked octopus being served in the world but provided that you poke it with a skewer every so often to check when it is tender, there is actually nothing very complicated about preparing it.
Ingredients
1 octopus weighing 1.5 kilos, cleaned
a few sprigs of lemon thyme
a few bay leaves
a handful of peppercorns
2 tsp salt
a good drizzle of olive oil
one lemon, sliced in half across the width
a few teaspoons of olive oil
a bunch of baby leeks
a bunch of small, waxy potatoes such as Pink Fir Apple or Mids, unpeeled
Romesco
3 dried Nora chilies
100 grams Marcona almonds
3 plum tomatoes
Boiling water for blanching the tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1 thick slice stale chewy, peasant-style crusty bread
1 tbsp smoked paprika
4 tbsp red-wine vinegar
juice of 1/2 lemon
65 mls olive oil
Sea salt
Instructions
Place the Nora chilies for the romesco in a bowl and cover with boiling water to cover. Leave to soak for an hour or until very soft.
Rinse the octopus well under cold running water, place in a pot and add cold water to cover. Add the herbs, peppercorns, salt and olive oil and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and simmer the octopus for 35 minutes. After 35 minutes, poke the octopus with a skewer or thin knife and check for tenderness. If the octopus still feels a little tough simmer it for another 5-10 minutes and check again. Switch off the heat and leave the octopus to cool in the liquid. While the octopus is cooling, simmer the potatoes in lightly salted water until tender and drain, then set aside and allow to cool.
Meanwhile make the romesco sauce. Toast the almonds in a dry frying pan on medium heat until golden and toasted smelling. Blanch and peel the plum tomatoes by making an 'x' in the bottom of each tomato. Place in a bowl and pour boiling water over the tomatoes to cover. Leave for 3-4 minutes, then plunge the tomatoes in cold water. Leave for another minute or so and then peel off the skins which should come away easily from where you cut your 'x'.
In a food processor, process the garlic, almonds, and bread until finely ground. Add the chilies, tomatoes, smoked paprika, olive oil, vinegar, and lemon juice and puree. Alternatively, pound the garlic, almonds and bread in batches in a mortar and pestle. Chop the chilies and tomatoes finely, add to the mixture and continue to pound in the mortar and pestle to a coarse paste. Mix well with the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Season with salt and set aside.
Rinse the octopus gently under cold water and gently rub and rinse away the skin which should come off easily. Be careful not to overdue it or you'll remove all the tentacles as well. Pat the octopus dry with kitchen towels and slice into 2 inch pieces leaving the pointed ends a little longer. Slice the potatoes in half.
Heat a barbecue or griddle pan on high and brush with a little oil. Brush the lemon halves generously with olive oil and place them cut side down in the pan. Sear the lemon halves without moving for 5-6 minutes until they are charred and softened. Remove and set aside.
Add the leeks and char them on all sides until very soft and well marked on all sides. Remove the leeks and add the potatoes cut side down and grill to char them slightly then remove.Finally add the octopus and grill for 45 seconds per side until heated through and lightly charred on both sides.
To serve, spread a thin layer of romesco on a plate and top with the octopus, potatoes and leeks. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and a pinch of salt and serve warm with the charred lemons.
Jennifer Klinec from Eat Drink Talk has kindly agreed to provide Urban Junkies readers with mouthwatering recipes and foodtips.
To learn more, classes at Eat Drink Talk are held in Jennifer's beautiful loft in Clerkenwell, packed with information and useful tips, and you'll get to sample all of the delicious dishes prepared during class.
In collaboration with Eat Drink Talk