Grilled Octopus with squid ink lentils
Whenever you are going to grill, barbecue or fry an octopus, it always starts with a slow braise to tenderize it. Cooking it on a barbecue is wonderful. The raw heat of hot coals combined with the charcoal smokiness is divine, but a super-hot grill makes a good alternative, as used here.
Serves 8–12
1 octopus, about 2kg, prepared
2 dried bay leaves 3 garlic cloves
1 lemon
½tsp sumac
A generous pinch of finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 200g pre-cooked
Puy lentils
½tsp squid ink
½ red onion, thinly sliced 1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil, for drizzling 1 Place the prepared octopus in a large pot with a few generous pinches of salt, the bay leaves and 2 of the garlic cloves. Pour over enough cold water to cover fully. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for about 45min, until you can pierce the flesh with a knife with little resistance. Don’t overcook it, as the suckers on the tentacles will start to come off. Octopus has a habit of floating, so either place a lid on the pot or place a small saucer on top of the octopus to help keep it submerged. 2 Put the cooked octopus into a bowl with a few glugs of olive oil to stop it sticking. Peel a few strips of rind from the lemon and add to the bowl. Set this aside until ready to cook. 3 Meanwhile, mash the last garlic clove to a pulp with a little salt. Whisk with a few glugs of olive oil and squeeze in about half the amount of lemon juice to oil. Add the sumac and finely chopped parsley and mix. 4 Mix the Puy lentils with the squid ink and season with a little pepper. When you are ready to grill the octopus, separate the tentacles with a sharp knife and slice the hood into four pieces. Get the grill as hot as possible. Shake off the excess olive oil from the octopus, season with a pinch of salt, then grill it close to the heat for a few minutes until it crisps up. Turn the pieces over and char the other side. Remove and brush over the garlic-lemon-sumac dressing. 5 Sprinkle the squid ink Puy lentils over a large platter, distribute the sliced red onion amongst the lentils, then randomly place the octopus over the top. Taste for seasoning and finish with a little sliced red chilli.