The braised octopus can be made up to one day ahead and refrigerated. Bring it to room temperature before grilling.
Grilled Octopus Salad
Ingredients
For the octopus
- 1-1/2 octopus, cleaned, heads and tentacles separated
- 1 quart light olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 small unpeeled onions, quartered
- 2 tsp. sea salt
- 2 tsp. fennel seed
- 2 tsp. coriander seed
- 1 tsp. black peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
For the garlic Greek yogurt
- 1 cup plain whole milk Chobani Greek yogurt
- 3/4 cup spring garlic, white and edible green parts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
For the Calabrian chili vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice (from about 1 large orange)
- 3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice (from about 1 medium lemon)
- 2 Tbs. sherry vinegar
- 1 Tbs. finely chopped shallot
- 1 Tbs. chopped fresh oregano
- 1 tsp. Calabrian red chili sauce (found at specialty food shops or Italian grocers)
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
For the salad
- 3 oz. baby arugula
- 3-4 fingerling potatoes, boiled until tender, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
- 1/2 cup fresh fava beans, blanched and shocked, skins removed
- 1/2 cup roasted red pepper, cut into thin strips
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
Make the octopus
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 200°F.
- Bring a 6-quart pot of well-salted water (it should be salty like the sea) to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Add the octopus, wait until the water returns to a simmer, remove octopus from the water with tongs and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Repeat this process twice, using the same water.
- Place the octopus in a Dutch oven. Add the oil, garlic, onions, and salt. Tie the fennel, coriander, pepper, bay leaf, and pepper flakes into a cheesecloth pouch. Add the spice bundle to the Dutch oven. Cover and bake until the octopus is fork tender, about 1-1/2 hours. Let the octopus cool to room temperature, covered, in the oil. Remove octopus from the oil.
Make the yogurt sauce
- Put the yogurt in a medium bowl and set aside. Bring a small pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the spring garlic and parsley and blanch for 30seconds. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon and shock in an ice bath. When cold, remove from the ice bath and squeeze out the excess water. Add the greens, oil, and salt to a to a blender and blend until smooth. Fold the purée into the yogurt until well combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Make the vinaigrette
- Combine the juices, vinegar, shallot, oregano, chili sauce, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in the oil in a steady stream until the mixture emulsifies. Set aside.
Make the salad
- Combine the arugula, potatoes, beans, and red pepper in a large bowl and toss with enough vinaigrette to evenly coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
To serve
- Prepare a medium-high gas or charcoal grill fire. Lightly oil the grill. Grill the octopus tentacles and heads until lightly charred and crispy on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the grill. When the octopus is cool to the touch, slice the arms into 3- to 4-inch pieces and the heads into halves or quarters. Set aside.
- Spread the yogurt mixture equally in the center of the four plates. Divide the salad among the plates, placing it in a mound on top of the yogurt.
- Divide the grilled octopus among the plates. Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over the octopus, and serve.
