Octopus is the recipe everyone thinks is reserved for Michelin-starred chefs. Too technical, too risky, and if you mess it up, it’s like rubber. Except that with a Dutch oven and some time on your hands, octopus is actually one of the most forgiving dishes there is—the one that makes the biggest impact for the least effort.
Ingredients :
- The octopus — Buy it frozen and already cleaned if possible—it saves you 20 minutes of work and the final result is strictly identical. For 8 people, count at least 2 kg of raw octopus: it shrinks enormously during cooking. If you buy fresh from the fishmonger, ask them to tenderize it; some do it very well.
- Arugula — Not the very mild arugula from vacuum-sealed plastic bags. Get the kind that stings the throat a bit, loose from the greengrocer or market—it will give character to the velvet. Thin, mild leaves disappear completely in the blender without leaving a trace.
- Elderflower vinegar — This is what signs the dish. It can be found in delis or easily online. If you really can’t find it, a quality apple cider vinegar with a few drops of orange blossom water will do the trick—it’s not identical, but it holds its own.
- Root vegetables — Carrots, parsnips, raw beets, celeriac—choose based on what’s available. They flavor the braising liquid and then serve to compose the root juice. Cut them into large chunks; no precision is needed here.
