Make a difference by looking for the MSC blue fish tick label when shopping for seafood.
Prep time
15 mins
Cooking Time
75 mins
Serves
4
Ingredients
Ingredients
*I am using the raw Octopus to show how to prepare it, but we can talk about using the prepared one from Coles as a shortcut.
*The Romesco sauce makes more than you need for this recipe, but it can be eaten as a dip, used on sandwiches or served with other proteins like BBQ Prawns or grilled Fish
Ingredients
- 2 x 200g raw Freemantle Octopus tentacles
- 1 small onion, roughly chopped
- 2 big cloves garlic, bruised
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- 2 bay leaves
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ bunch flat leaf parsley, reserve 10 leaves and set aside in iced water to garnish
- 1 tablespoon baby capers
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Pickled Fennel:
- ½ head fennel, shaved, fronds reserved to garnish
- 1 lemon
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup (can also use sugar or honey)
Romesco Sauce:
- 300g Roasted Red peppers from a jar, drained
- 1/3 cup (loosely packed) semi dried tomatoes
- ¾ cup roasted unsalted almonds
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 3 tablespoons red wine or sherry vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 80ml (1/3 cup) extra virgin olive oil
- ½ long red chilli *Optional
When shopping for sustainable seafood, look for the MSC blue fish tick label to be sure.
Method
Method
- Pour 1.5 litres of water into a pot and bring up to a simmer. Add in the onion, garlic, fennel seeds, bay leaves, salt, pepper and parsley then gently lower in the octopus. Cover with a lid and leave on a very gentle simmer for 1 hour, or until tender. Remove from the pot and set aside on a tray to cool.
- Place all the Romesco sauce ingredients into a blender or food processor along with a pinch of salt then blitz until smooth and silky.
- Use a vegetable peeler to peel 4 strips from the lemon then cut into fine matchsticks and set aside. Place the shaved fennel into a bowl and sprinkle with a pinch of salt, squeeze over the juice from ½ the lemon and maple syrup. Toss well to coat then set aside.
- Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan then lightly season the octopus. Grill for 2-3 minutes each side or until the edges are slightly crips.
- Remove the octopus and place the capers into the pan. Fry for 30 seconds, or until crisp, adding a little extra oil if needed.
- To serve spread 2 big tablespoons of romesco sauce onto the base of each serving plate and top with the octopus. Drain the fennel from the pickling liquid then toss with lemon strips and chilled parsley leaves. Place the pickled fennel mixture onto the octopus then spoon over the fried capers and a little of the oil before serving.
Sustainable Seafood Guide
Seafood with the MSC blue fish tick label comes from a well managed and sustainable fishery. Find out where to buy, what to look for and the questions to ask.
