Polpo alla piastra su crema di piselli
Seared Octopus over Green Pea Purée
Servings: 4 -6
Ingredients
For the seared octopus
- 1 kilo (2 lbs) octopus
- Olive oil
- 1-2 cloves of garlic finely minced
- Salt
- Juice of one lemon
For the pea purée
- 500 g (1 lb) shelled green peas, frozen or fresh
- 2-3 shallots peeled and finely minced
- 500 ml (2 cups) vegetable broth (preferably homemade) or water enough to cover the peas
- Butter
- Olive oil
- Salt
- 2-3 Tbs heavy cream optional
- A few leaves of fresh basil or mint optional
Instructions
Prepping the octopus
- If you're using raw octopus, pre-boil it in well salted water until tender. (See Notes for cooking times.) Let it cool in its liquid, then cut it into serving pieces. If you are using pre-cooked octopus, proceed to the next step.
- In a bowl, mix the octopus pieces with the oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, a good pinch of salt and a grind of pepper. Set aside for at least 30 minutes.
Preparing the pea purée
- Meanwhile, you can prepare your pea purée. In a wide saucepan or skillet, melt the butter in a drizzle of olive oil and sauté the shallots for just a minute or two over gentle heat.
- Add the peas, toss them in the flavored butter to coat well, seasoning to taste. Let the peas sauté gently for a minute or so, then add enough broth or water to just cover them. Simmer for 2 minutes more if frozen, 5 minutes or so if fresh.
- Transfer the peas and their cooking liquid to a blender, along with the basil or mint leaves if using. Blend until you have perfectly smooth purée. Stir in the heavy cream if using. The mixture should have the consistency of a sauce, thick but still pourable. Add a bit more water or cream if it needs it.
- Return the purée to the saucepan or skillet and keep warm until needed.
Searing the octopus and finishing the dish
- Now it's time to sear the octopus. You can do this on a griddle, stovetop grill pan or on an outdoor grill, as you prefer. Whichever method you choose, make sure your griddle or grill is as hot as you can manage.
- Drain the octopus of excess liquid, then sear it on both sides until nicely charred and crisp, but not burnt. (If you're grilling on an outdoor grill, feel free to baste the octopus with the marinade.) This should only take 2-3 minutes on each side.
- Spread the pea purée on individual dishes or a serving plate. Set the seared octopus on top and serve immediately.