Octopus is making a comeback and this fresh, tenderised, ready to use WA octopus is a game changer. Here we pay homage to a classic Greek chargrilled octopus, replacing fresh herbs with a lively herby oil and grounding with the earthy flavours of a walnut and bread pâté.
6-8
Serves
20m
Prep
2h+
Marinade
6m
Cook
Ingredients
Green oil
- 250ml neutral oil (canola or grapeseed)
- 50g parsley leaves
- 50g basil leaves
- 6 cloves garlic
Walnut bread pâté
- 60g slightly stale bread
- 100ml milk
- 60ml cream
- 4 cloves confit garlic (you can substitute fresh to taste, suggest halving the amount)
- 140g walnuts
- 40g pecorino, finely grated
- 20ml extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Octopus
- 600g Fremantle Octopus large tentacles (217863), rinsed and dried
- 80ml olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
Method
1. To make the green oil
Add the oil, parsley, basil and garlic to a food processor and blitz. Pour the herb oil into a saucepan and heat gently until the oil reaches 100°C. Set a fine sieve lined with muslin over a container, to ensure a fresh green oil, let it strain unforced (pressing on the pulp can make the oil cloudy). Transfer to a squeezy bottle or jar.
2. To make the walnut bread pâté
Tear the bread into 2cm chunks, add to a bowl along with the milk and cream, toss to coat then soak to soften – about 2 minutes. Add the garlic, walnuts, pecorino, EVO and the soaked bread/milk mix to the bowl of a food processor, blitz until you have a thick cohesive mixture. The finished mixture is more like a paste or pesto consistency than sauce, additional cream can be added if you prefer a thinner more sauce like consistency. Taste for seasoning, add pepper and a little salt if needed (the cheese adds quite a salty hit in itself).
3. To make the octopus
Add the octopus tentacles to a container, pour over the olive oil and add the smashed garlic cloves, toss to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to overnight.
Grill on a hot grill 2-3 minutes each side. Serve whole or thinly sliced, season, drizzle with green oil and serve with walnut bread pâté on the side.
Notes
- Any bread works, you will get varying results to flavour depending on the bread used (e.g. sourdough will yield a more robust flavour).
- You can toast the bread in a low oven until deep golden to build another layer into the flavour – you may need to play with the liquid levels if trying this approach.
- Confit garlic adds a subtle umami richness, fresh garlic can be used, adjust the quantity to taste.
- If you want to stay pure to Greek flavours, you can use kefalotyri instead of the pecorino.
- If using raw octopus, place the octopus in a pot and cover with water. Cook over medium heat until the water begins to boil, then reduce heat and simmer the octopus until tender. This will take between 1-2 hours. To check for tenderness, you should be able to pierce the thickest part of the tentacle easily with a knife.
