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Blake Proud's Perfect Grilled Octopus with Cauliflower Puree

Ingredients

• 1 Large Frozen Octopus (thawed)

• 4 Litres of Oil (this will depend on your tray size)

• 6-8 Large Garlic Cloves

• 3lt Water

• ¼ Cup Salt

• Lots of ice

Pickled Onion

• 1 red onion sliced

• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

• 1 tbl sugar

• 1 ½ tsp salt

• 1 cup water

Crispy Octopus & Spring Onion

• Left Over Octopus

• 3-4 Whole Spring Onion Stalks

• 1 Red Chilli

• Reserved Oil from Confit

Cauliflower Puree

• 1 x Cauliflower chopped

• Salt to taste

Method

1. Place your octopus in to a pot of boiling water, around 3 litres of water with ¼ cup of salt, and boil for about 5 minutes. Whilst that is boiling get a large bowl and fill it with ice and water.

2. Once the 5 minutes it up, take out your octopus and place it straight in to the ice water and leave for about 10 minutes to chill right now.

3. Meanwhile you can quickly do your pickled onion. Grab a small sauce pot and place your vinegar, sugar, salt and water in there. Stir until the salt and sugar dissolved and take off the heat. Place your sliced onion in to a heat proof container or jar and once the liquid is cool enough to touch with your finger, pour over the onion and set aside to pickle.

4. Get your octopus out of the ice bath and pat dry with paper towels. Take your time and be very gentle as you don’t want to rub the skin off the octopus but you also want it to be completely dry.

5. Now slice off the tentacles from the head part of the octopus but do not throw away keep this for another part of the recipe.

6. Set your oven to 110’C. Place your octopus tentacles in a DEEP baking dish (it doesn’t have to be big just deep) along with the garlic cloves. If you want more garlic flavour just give them a prick with a fork. Fill up with Olive Oil until completely covered. Cover tightly with aluminium foil and place in the oven. You will leave it to confit in there for about 4 hours but checking every hour. Once it is tender enough to easily slide a blunt fork or wooden skewer in to it is ready.

7. Once the octopus is done take it out and leave to cool on its own for about 30 minutes

8. You can now get your cauliflower on the boil in a large pot. Once boiled until tender, get a stick blender and puree until smooth. Add salt to taste and set aside until ready to serve. If it is too thick you can add a bit more water, if it is too runny just cook off a bit more water. It should be smooth and creamy and have the consistency of yoghurt almost and hold to a spoon.

9. Get some of the oil from the Octopus and heat it up in a pan. Finely chop the remaining head part of the octopus, discarding the beak if intact, and add to the pan. Cook over a high heat until it is very golden and crispy. Right at the end toss in the chilli and spring onion and cook until crispy. A slight char is OK so don’t be afraid to really get some heat in to it, but don’t burn it all.

10. To finish off get your cooled octopus out of the oil and place on some paper towels to let some of the oil drain off. Once drained, leaving a little bit of oil on them so they don’t stick, char over the grill on a BBQ, Coals get the best flavour here, or if you don’t have access to that a scolding hot griddle pan.

11. Cook until black char marks appear and no longer. Remember the octopus has already been cooked we are simply added flavour with the charring.

12. Once done plate up by putting some Cauliflower on the plate, the octopus, the drizzle with the infused oil, and top with some pickled onion and fresh greens (fresh parsley or micro greens)