3328. CHARRED OCTOPUS SALAD with BACON and TANGERINE SAUCE

yields 5 to 6 servings


1 bottle red wine, such as Merlot

2 heads garlic, halved
1/3 cup black peppercorns
one 2-pound octopus
4 bacon slices, cut into lardons

tangerine sauce (recipe follows)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup pink peppercorns, crushed
3 sprigs fresh oregano, leaves picked, for garnish
microgreens, for garnish
micro baby arugula, for garnish
extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
 

Tangerine sauce:
2 cups tangerine juice
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 anchovies
1 half finger chile
canola oil, for drizzling
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Tangerine Sauce: Reduce the juice and honey in a saute pan over medium heat until syrupy. Allow to cool slightly. Combine in a food processor with the red wine vinegar, mustard, anchovies and chile and process until smooth. While processing, drizzle in enough canola oil to create an emulsified sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

Octopus salad: Combine the red wine, garlic, black peppercorns and 2 quarts of water in a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat.

Dip the octopus in the boiling liquid for 10 seconds and lift it back out. Repeat the process 3 times. Finally, submerge the octopus in the liquid and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover with a lid and allow the octopus to poach in the liquid until tender, about 90 minutes.

Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and reserve the fat in the pan.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Preheat a grill to high heat. Warm up half of the Tangerine Sauce in a saute pan on medium heat.

Remove the octopus from the poaching liquid and allow to cool before handling, about 10 minutes. Remove the head and discard. Cut off the tentacles from the body and reserve the body for another use. Dip the tentacles into the reserved bacon fat, and place on the hot grill to char very briefly. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the tentacles to a large ovenproof saute pan, toss with the heated Tangerine Sauce and place in the oven for 5 minutes.

To serve, drizzle some of the remaining Tangerine Sauce on each plate. Sprinkle some of the crushed peppercorns and oregano leaves around each plate. Place a tentacle on each plate and sprinkle with some of the bacon. Garnish with the Bulls Blood microgreens and micro arugula. Finish with a drizzle of oil and some freshly ground black pepper. 

 

 

bacon recipe source: Bobby Flay, "Timer's Up," Worst Cooks in America, Food Network

2974. FRENCH-STYLE BRAISED OCTOPUS with FENNEL and BACON BONES

serves as a main meal for 6


3 lb. baby octopus
10 garlic cloves
2 inches knob ginger, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup sherry vinegar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup honey
3 medium-sized carrots
3 sticks of celery
1 cup extra virgin olive oil, extra
2 1/2 inch knob ginger, sliced
8 small salad onions, trimmed and cut into quarters
1 baby fennel bulb, finely sliced lengthways
5 oz. smoked bacon bones, sliced
1 tablespoon sea salt, extra
1/2 bunch thyme
1/4 cup raw sugar
1/3 cup red wine

To clean octopus, cut tentacles away from head below the beak. Cut away and discard the beak, then turn the body inside out. Remove ink sac and internal organs. Strip skin away from head and tentacles under running water. Rinse and drain well, then cut octopus in half.

Pound garlic, chopped ginger and salt with a pestle and mortar until crushed. Stir in vinegar and oil. Place octopus in a bowl and pour over garlic mixture and honey. Using your hands, mix thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, peel carrots, cut into quarters lengthways and slice. Cut celery sticks in half lengthways and slice. Heat extra oil in a large, heavy-based pan, add sliced ginger, carrots, celery, onions, fennel, bacon bones and extra salt.

Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Reduce heat and cook for a further 10 minutes, or until vegetables are lightly browned. Add thyme and sugar, increase heat again and cook, stirring occasionally, for a further 2 minutes.

Drain octopus from marinade; reserve marinade. Add octopus to pan and stir over high heat to sear octopus and seal in juices. Pour in reserved marinade, along with wine, and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently, covered, for about 45 minutes, or until octopus is tender.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Kylie Kwong, ABC.net, Australia, November 19, 2003

2885. GRILLED OCTOPUS SALAD with BACON and LEMON-PISTACHIO VINAIGRETTE

Salad:
1/2 lb octopus
2 slices thin cut bacon
2 radishes, sliced thin
handful of yellow wax beans
1/4 cup fava beans
1/4 cup red cabbage
little less than a 1/4 cup pistachios 

Vinaigrette:
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 shallot, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup pistachios

Vinaigrette: In a blender mix lemon juice, shallot, tarragon, red wine vinegar, sugar, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until smooth. With blender running, add olive oil in a steady stream until well incorporated. Turn off blender, add pistachios and pulse until finely chopped.

Salad: In a saucepan add octopus and enough water to cover octopus but about 2 inches. Bring to a boil and simmer about an hour. Remove from boiling water and once cool enough to handle cut into large bite size pieces.

Cook bacon in a fry pan until lightly crisp. Boil wax beans in water about 5-7 minutes until just starting to become tender.

Heat grill. In a bowl toss all salad ingredients in dressing to lightly coat. Transfer to a mesh fry pan (one made for grilling). Cook on grill until salad ingredients are lightly charred, about 10 minutes. Remove from grill and toss with a bit more dressing to lightly coat salad and serve.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Pretty in Pork, July 6, 2011

2853. GRILLED YOUNG OCTOPUS with BACON GARNISH and FRISEE and MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE

serves 6-8 


Octopus

1 young octopus, about 3 lbs in size, cleaned and trimmed, beak and viscera discarded
Mirepoix of leek, carrot, celery, parsley, onion
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 cup chopped tomato
2 cups white wine
3 cups boiling water

Vinaigrette
6 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/4 cup hazelnut oil
1/4 cup peanut oil
1/2 cup cream
4 heads young frisee, leaves separated, outer dark green leaves discarded for another use
3 tablespoons chopped chives

Bacon
1/2 lb. slab cherry wood smoked bacon
1/4 cup brown sugar

Rinse octopus and place in large pot with all the remaining ingredients except the water. Bring to a boil, add water, lower heat to maintain a simmer and cover, cooking for about 100-120 minutes until tender.

Let octopus cool in liquid, storing in fridge until ready to use. Cut off individual legs, slice head in eights. Let come to room temperature, brush with olive oil, season well, and slowly grill to lightly char the octopus and heat through.

Place on plate, nestling a portion of dressed salad in the "curled arm" of the octopus. Drizzle some extra sauce on the plate.

To make the vinaigrette, first whisk together the mustard and vinegar. Add the oils, blending well, and then blend in the cream. Adjust for seasoning and reserve.

Toss the greens in a bowl with enough sauce to cover well. Divide onto 4 plates. Garnish with ground pepper and the chives. Serve.

Cut the bacon into pinky tip-sized lardons, small rectangles. Slowly brown in a large skillet over medium heat. When beginning to crisp and rendered, tip off the fat, put pan back on heat, add sugar and toss until caramelized. Spill out onto no-stick tray and garnish salad while still warm.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Andrew Zimmern; The Dr. Oz Show, December 5, 2011

2556. ALASKA OCTOPUS GUMBO with BACON

1/2 cup bacon, diced
2 cups water
1 pint fresh octopus, steamed until tender
2 cups steamed rice, slightly undercooked
1 lb. tomatoes
1 can okra
1/2 cup onions, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup celery, diced
salt and pepper to taste

Boil bacon in water for 15 minutes, then add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer together for 10 minutes. Serve with warm cornbread.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Starvin Marvin's Seafood's, Wholesale Seafood Supplier, P.O. Box 5022, Charleston Oregon 97420