Octopus Salad

Steve Kielty recipe with images using nurtured in norfolk’s micro cress, edible flowers, edible leaves, herbs, sea veg, pea shoots and micro/baby veg.

Method

Octopus

Heat a water bath to 80c

Remove the tentacles, trim and then carefully place a wooden skewer through the meat to keep it strait while cooking, repeat for 4 of the tentacles, the other for can be frozen for use in another dish

Put in vacuum bag, seal and place in water bath for 4 hours

Once cooked cool in iced water, remove from the bag and clean off all the gelatinous membrane keeping the suckers in tact

Trim to about 15cm and set-aside until ready to serve

 

Mix the tomato’s, shallots together, add oil to bind and a little of the vinegar, season and set aside

 

Dashi Gel 

Bring the water to the boil in small saucepan and add the dashi stock

Quickly add the egg whites and whisk into the stock

Lower the heat and let it come back to a gentle simmer

Once a crust has formed remover from heat and carefully pass the clarified stock through fine muslin into another pan

Place on the heat adding the gellan and the xanthan and bring up to the boil whisking to make sure everything is hydrated and dissolved

Remove from heat pour into a shallow bowl and place in fridge to set

Once set blend until smooth and place in a squeeze bottle and set aside till needed

 

Mayo

Heat the oil gently until warm, add the bonito and remove from the heat

Leave to infuse for a couple of hours

Once infused strain and whisk into the egg yolk to make a mayonnaise

Mix in the squid ink and transfer into a squeeze bottle

 

Ensemble

Place 5 dots of the dashi gel in the plate, place the octopus on top and lightly season

Behind the octopus place a line of the tomato salsa then place the herbs and flowers in-between alternating them as you go

Garnish with a little of the herring roe (or caviar)

Opposite then octopus add a good squeeze of the mayo and serve