CRISPY OCTOPUS BRUSCHETTA
This version of octopus served on bruschetta and finished in a pan is a great idea for an appetizer or finger food different from the usual, and with a few small tweaks it can become a fantastic main course. As with many of the finger food recipes I propose, the idea and recipe come from a very famous finger food restaurant in Forte dei Marmi. Tasting it and falling in love with it were one and the same, so as usual I popped into the kitchen to ask about the execution. Here is the secret behind that crunchy yet tender texture… the double cooking! The octopus is first cooked traditionally in water with aromatics, left to cool slightly and then sautéed in a pan after being coated in an aromatic breadcrumb mixture. Meanwhile a warm, crunchy slice of bruschetta is prepared to act as the base.
The result is a dish that combines crispness and tenderness, an impressive plate to serve friends at a seafood dinner or as finger food at an aperitif.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking time: 50 Minutes
- Portions: 8 SERVINGS
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1.1 lb Octopus
- 8 slices Tuscan bread
- 2 cups Lamb's lettuce (mâche)
- 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small bunch Parsley
- 1 stalk Celery
- 1 Onion
- 1 clove Garlic
- 5 peppercorns Black pepper
- to taste Black pepper
Preparation
Let’s start with cleaning the octopus. Of course some fishmongers will clean it for you if you ask, but it’s not a big job, so you can easily do it yourself. Wash it under plenty of water and remove the beak located right under the octopus’ head where the tentacles originate. Detach the head and turn it inside out to remove the ink sac and the octopus’ entrails. Rinse well under running water and set aside. In the meantime bring a pot of plenty of salted water to a boil (it should be large enough to hold and cover the octopus) to which you will have added the peppercorns, the celery stalk and the onion.
When the water reaches a boil, immerse the octopus by the tentacles and lift it up three times so the tentacles curl. Then place the whole octopus into the water and cook it for about 50 minutes over low heat. After the indicated time check the doneness by piercing it with a fork; it should be tender. Do not drain it but leave it in the cooking water until it has cooled. At that point drain it well and cut it into pieces of about 5/8 in.
Now proceed with the coating. After patting the pieces dry with a cloth, pass them through a plate where you have mixed breadcrumbs with chopped parsley and garlic. Then sauté them in a pan. Take a nonstick pan and put it over the heat with 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. When hot, add the octopus and sauté for a few minutes until the coating is nicely toasted and crisp. Meanwhile prepare the bruschetta by toasting the slices of Tuscan bread under the oven grill. When the octopus is ready, remove it from the heat and season it lightly with salt.
Assemble your bruschetta: rub the toasted slice of bread with a drizzle of oil, add some lamb’s lettuce leaves and finally top with your crispy octopus. If you like, sprinkle with a little black pepper. Now all that’s left is to taste it! You’ll notice how different the flavor is compared to simply boiled octopus.
Notes
If you want to turn this finger food into a main course, instead of the bread bruschetta prepare a creamy, velvety white polenta on which you will then place the cooked octopus. More than a main course, it will become a fantastic one-dish meal.
