Of all the seafood out there, the octopus is probably my favourite. It’s quite simple to prepare and it’s so delicious! It is such a disappointment when you order it in a restaurant and you can almost taste its loveliness but then it turns out to be rubbery… The trick is not to rush: let it cook long and slow and you’ll be guaranteed a wonderful softness. As you’ll notice, I don’t use any water in this recipe. The juices from the octopus itself will steam-cook it to perfection. Even though it’s already good without any sauce, the combination with olives is a match made in heaven. It’s a perfect starter or a snack with some good white wine. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 octopus, weighing 500 gr
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 garlic cloves
- 5 black peppercorns
- 5 sichuan peppercorns
- 2 teaspoon capers
Olive mayonnaise
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon mustard
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 150 ml sun flower oil
- 100 ml olive oil
- 15 black kalamata olives, deseeded
Directions
- Place the octopus along with the bay leaf, garlic (peeled and halved) and peppercorns in a deep pan without any water. Cover and let gently cook on low heat about 2 hours, until the octopus is nice and soft.
- Cut the tentacles from the body of the octopus and discard the rest. Cut the tentacles into 2-3 cm pieces.
- For the mayonnaise, put the egg, mosterd, garlic and lemon juice in a small container and pour the oils on top.
- Push a handheld blender all the way down, start mixing and pulling the blender very slowly up.
- Add the olives and blend again.
- Serve the cooled octopus with the sauce and capers.
- If the octopus has been in the fridge, make sure to take it out about an hour before serving so that it softens.
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