So, this looks like a mammoth recipe – and it is, but it is actually four recipes in one, which I am sure makes less daunting for everyone… The key is organisation and prepping ahead. The octopus can be boiled and grilled a day ahead, and the aioli and salsa sauces actually benefit from being made the day before. This is a lovely, chilled sharing meal to serve on a hot summer’s day and is well worth the effort, if the undertaking is taken in bite-sized chunks! This was the main course for my June supper club at Brown and Green, Crystal Palace. If you’d like to come to one of my supper clubs, click here.
Serves 6
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Octopus
250ml red wine
250ml water
1 sprig sage
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp chopped oregano
360g octopus
1/2 tsp sugar
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp olive oil
Aioli
3 egg yolks
1 garlic clove, very finely chopped
50ml olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
Potato salad
900g Jersey royals or new potatoes
90g cucumber, ribboned with a veg peeler
6 tbsp Greek yogurt
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
Chilli salsa
30g bird’s eye chillies, deseeded
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp cider vinegar
Pinch of sugar
6 medium-sized tomatoes, eyes removed
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
Seafood
6 giant clams
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp chopped dill and mint
zest and juice of 1 lemon
6 king prawns
135g salad leaves, edible flowers like pansies and nasturtiums
sea salt and pepper
lemon wedges, to serve
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To boil the octopus, place the red wine, water, sage, bay leaves, oregano and sugar in a saucepan and simmer for 2 mins. Add the octopus and cover, then simmer for 45 mins. Drain and allow to cool.
In the meantime, place the egg yolks in a bowl and whisk for 2 mins with an electric whisk. Add the garlic, then with the whisk on low, drizzle in the olive oil, whisking continuously. Whisk on high for 2-3 mins until very thick. Whisk in the lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Cover and chill until needed.
Cut the potatoes to bite sized and place in a saucepan of cold water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 12 mins, or until just soft. Drain and refresh in cold water until cold. Mix in the cucumber, yogurt, dill and mint, then season with salt and pepper. Cover and chill until needed.
Blend the chillies, garlic, cider vinegar and tomatoes in a food processor for 30 seconds. Add the chopped mint, season, and cover and chill until needed.
Slice the octopus into groups of two or three tentacles and chop the head into bite-sized chunks. Heat a griddle pan to hot and griddle the octopus for 3 mins on each side until crispy. Drizzle with olive oil and chill until needed. Keep the griddle pan on.
Place the prawns in a shallow dish and cover with 2 tbsp of the oil, dill, mint and lemon zest and juice. Season with salt and pepper, and toss the prawns with the mixture with tongs. Place the prawns on the griddle and cook for 2-3 mins on each side or until completely cooked through and a little charred. Transfer to a container and chill for 1hr or until you serve.
Place the clams (they should all close when in cold water and given a gentle tap; don’t use them if they remain open when raw) in a large saucepan of boiling water and simmer for about 15 mins or until they all open their shells. If a clam doesn’t open, discard. Remove the clams from the water with a slotted spoon and place on a plate. Drizzle the clams inside the shells with 1 tbsp of oil and squeeze over lemon juice. Chill for 1hr and until needed.
To serve, arrange the clams, prawns and octopus on a large sharing plate and add a pot of aioli, a pot of the chilli salsa and a lemon wedge. Toss the salad leaves and flowers together and transfer to a serving bowl, then serve with the flower salad and potato and cucumber salad.
