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Recipe

Grilled Octopus over Lentil Salad, Ginger Crisp, Cilantro Oil, and Olive Oil

Serves

10

Active Time

25 MIN

Origin

ALENTEJO

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Grilled Octopus over Lentil Salad, Ginger Crisp, Cilantro Oil, and Olive Oil

During tomato season, there are no bad cooks.

— PORTUGUESE SAYING

Boiled in a salad is the most common way to eat octopus among us. But I like to give it another twist; grilling it. Once again, my childhood memories influence my work Ever since I was a child, seeing octopus grilled over charcoal has fascinated me! Don't find it strange to pair it with lentils. The marriage is perfect. But I confess my idea was mostly to remind you that this tasty legume is already part of, and well within, our traditional diet. Season it all with fresh new olive oil, whose delicacy strongly contributes to enhancing everything on the plate. The decoration... is my doing!

THE RECIPE

Ingredients

Serves 10

  1. For the octopus:
  2. Octopus – 2.5 kg
  3. Extra virgin olive oil – 1 dl
  4. Onion – 1
  5. Cloves – 6 heads
  6. Parsley – as needed (q.b.)
  7. Garlic with skin – 3 cloves
  8. Red wine – 1 dl
  9. Whole black peppercorns – as needed (q.b.)
  10. Sea salt – as needed (q.b.)
  11. For the lentils:
  12. Green lentils – 300 g
  13. Extra virgin olive oil – 0.5 dl
  14. Sea salt – as needed (q.b.)
  15. For the vinaigrette:
  16. Cooked lentils (reserved) – 20 g
  17. Extra virgin olive oil – 0.3 dl
  18. Onion – 1
  19. Garlic – 5 cloves
  20. Vinegar – 0.2 dl
  21. For the crisp:
  22. Ginger – as needed (q.b.)
  23. Flour – 150 g
  24. Baking powder – 5 g
  25. Warm water – as needed (q.b.)
  26. Sea salt – as needed (q.b.)
  27. For the garnish:
  28. Vine tomato – 5
  29. Fleur de sel – as needed (q.b.)
  30. Cilantro oil – as needed (q.b.)
  31. Olive oil – as needed (q.b.)
  32. For the cilantro oil:
  33. Cilantro – 180 g
  34. Extra virgin olive oil – 2 dl
  35. Milled pepper – as needed (q.b.)
  36. Fleur de sel – as needed (q.b.)

Preparation

Cook the octopus in water flavored with extra virgin olive oil, parsley, onion, cloves, garlic with its skin on, red wine, peppercorns, and sea salt. Once cooked, drain it, drizzle it with a thread of extra virgin olive oil, and grill it over high heat.

For the lentils:

Cook the lentils (previously soaked) in water seasoned with sea salt and flavored with extra virgin olive oil. Once cooked, drain them and spread them over a sheet of absorbent paper.

For the vinaigrette:

Blanch the onion and garlic cloves. In a blender cup, combine them with the extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, and a small portion of the cooked lentils. Next, fold this vinaigrette into the remaining cooked lentils.

For the crisp:

Mix all the ingredients for the crisp together and spread the mixture in thin strips over a non-stick baking mat. Bake in an oven preheated to 160 °C for approximately 8 to 10 minutes.

For the garnish:

Peel the tomato, cut it in half, remove the seeds, and grill it. Season with fleur de sel. Prepare the flavored oils the same way as the salsa method

Presentation

Mold the lentil salad in the center of the plate with the help of a circular ring. Place the tomato on top and finally the octopus. Position the crisp at one of the edges of the plate and flavor the entire dish with the flavored oils.

Olive Oil Suggestion:

Olive oil from Moura or Trás-os-Montes, both for the octopus and for the vinaigrette or cilantro oil. Olive oil from Ribatejo, Alto Alentejo, or Castelo Branco for the lentils. Olive oil from Ribatejo, Norte Alentejano, or Beira Interior for the olives