Description
Charred octopus is tossed with fennel, a variety of citrus and a tangy dressing for a perfect grilled summer salad.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Charred Octopus
- Whole defrosted octopus
- 1/2 white onion
- 2 celery ribs
- 2 carrots
- Small handful flat parsley
- 4 cloves garlic
- Tsp peppercorns
- 1/2 lemon cut into wedges
- 1/2 cup water
Salad
- 1 Fennel bulb finely sliced with a mandoline
- 1/2 Orange (de-segmented and coarsely chopped)
- 1/2 Pink grapefruit de-segmented and coarsely chopped
- 3/4 cup Green olives coarsely chopped
- 1 bunch Flat Parsley coarsely chopped
- 2 Pickled Red chilies coarsely chopped (directions below)
- Chives finely chopped for finishing
White Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 4–5 TBS Rosato vinaigrette or White Balsamic
- Drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive oil
- 1 TBS pink grapefruit juice
- 1 TBS orange juice
Instructions
- Octopus Preparation:
- Begin with a whole defrosted octopus.
- In a large pot, combine the octopus with half a white onion, two celery ribs, two carrots, a small handful of flat parsley, four garlic cloves, a teaspoon of peppercorns, half a lemon cut into wedges, and half a cup of water.
- Cooking the Octopus:
- Set the pot on medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Let the octopus cook until tender. This should take between 45 to 90 minutes. Begin checking for tenderness after the first 30 minutes and then at 10-minute intervals thereafter.
- Once cooked, remove the octopus from the pot and let it come to room temperature.
- Detach the legs from the octopus body. Lightly toss them in olive oil, season with salt and pepper.
- Grill the octopus legs on a barbecue until they are slightly blackened, which should take approximately 3-4 minutes.
- Preparing the Salad Components:
- Pickled Red Chilies: Start by finely mandolining two fresh red peppers. Quickly pickle them in either rosato vinaigrette or white balsamic. Allow them to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- Citrus Preparations: Carefully de-segment half an orange and half a pink grapefruit. Coarsely chop the segments and set them aside.
- Fennel: Use a mandoline to finely slice the fennel bulb. Spread these slices out on your serving plate.
- Assembling the Salad:
- To the fennel on the serving plate, add the coarsely chopped parsley, green olives, and the previously prepared pickled red peppers and citrus segments.
- Drizzle your salad with the white balsamic vinaigrette.
- White Balsamic Vinaigrette Preparation:
- In a bowl, whisk together 4-5 tablespoons of rosato vinaigrette (or white balsamic), a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon of pink grapefruit juice, and 1 tablespoon of orange juice.
- Final Presentation:
- Once the salad is fully dressed, top it with two of the charred octopus legs.
- For a final touch, sprinkle finely chopped chives over the salad for an added layer of flavor and visual appeal.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 95 mins
- Category: Salad, Side
- Method: Boiling, Grilling
- Cuisine: Mediterranean