Grilled Octopus with Celery and Cannellini Bean Salad
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 4 servings
- Total: 10 hr 25 min
- Prep: 25 min
- Inactive: 8 hr
- Cook: 2 hr
Ingredients
Octopus:
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 carrot, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch lengths
1 rib celery, cut into 1/2-inch lengths
1/2 red onion, cut in half
Kosher salt
Pinch crushed red pepper
1 cup red wine vinegar
3 bay leaves
2 baby octopus (about 1 pound)
Salad:
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
Kosher salt
Pinch crushed red pepper
2 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped
1 1/2 cups Cooked Cannellini Beans, recipe follows, or 1 can cannellini beans, rinsed
1/2 cup chicken stock
3 celery ribs (from the light green delicate inside), cut very thin on a bias
3 cups washed baby arugula
1/2 cup celery leaves
1 lemon, juiced
Big fat finishing oil
Cooked Cannellini Beans:
1 cup dried cannellini beans, soaked overnight
2 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
1 carrot, peeled
1 rib celery
1 bundle fresh thyme
1/2 Spanish onion
Kosher salt
Directions
- To make the octopus: Coat a large saucepan with olive oil and toss in the garlic, carrot, celery and onion. Season with salt and crushed red pepper and bring the pan to a medium-high heat. Cook the veggies until they are soft and aromatic, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the vinegar and fill the pan with water. Season with salt, toss in the bay leaves and bring the water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the baby octopus and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the liquid and let cool. (This part can sooooooo be done ahead.)
- To prep the salad: Coat a large straight-sided saute pan with olive oil, toss in the onions, season with salt and crushed red pepper. Bring the pan to a medium heat and cook the onions until they start to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Toss in the beans, chicken stock and celery and cook until the stock has reduced by a little more than half. Turn off the heat and reserve the bean mixture.
- Preheat the grill. Cut the heads off the octopus and cut the legs into sections of 2 legs. Oil the legs and place them on the grill to slightly char and heat up the octopus.
- In a large bowl, toss the arugula and celery leaves with the lemon juice and olive oil and season with salt. Divide among 4 serving plates and spoon some of the warm bean mixture onto the arugula. Arrange the legs between the plates. Drizzle with big fat finishing oil.
Cooked Cannellini Beans:
- Drain the beans from the soaking water and place in a medium saucepan. Toss in the garlic cloves, bay leaf, carrot, celery, thyme and onion. Add water to the pan until it covers the beans by about 2 inches.
- Put the pan on a high heat and bring the water to a boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer until the beans are very soft and tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Turn the heat off.
- Season the water generously with salt and let sit for 15 minutes. Drain the beans from the cooking liquid and remove the veggies, bay and thyme and discard. Yield: 2 1/2 cups cooked beans.