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Apron & Atlas — home

Octopus & Tomato Carpaccio with Fennel

Mediterranean — see recipes from this place
  • 1 h 30 to 2 h
  • For 2–4 people
Tomato carpaccio on a pale plate, topped with charred octopus tentacles, shaved fennel, capers and fennel fronds.

Octopus poached, grilled, pressed and sliced thin, with fresh tomato and crisp fennel.

Ingredients

For the octopus

  • 1 whole octopus, around 800 g–1 kg
  • 1 onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 150 ml of white wine
  • A few black peppercorns
  • Olive oil
  • Salt & pepper

For the tomato

  • 3–4 ripe tomatoes
  • 1 small shallot
  • Fresh basil
  • Olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon of red wine vinegar or lemon juice
  • Salt & pepper

For the fennel

  • 1 fennel bulb
  • Lemon juice
  • Olive oil
  • Salt & pepper

Optional: pickled fennel

  • 1 fennel bulb
  • 100 ml of white vinegar
  • 100 ml of water
  • 1 tablespoon of sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of salt

Method

  1. Prepare the octopus. Clean the octopus and remove the beak and internal organs if this has not already been done. Place it in a large pot with the onion, garlic, bay leaf, peppercorns and white wine. Add enough water to cover the octopus and bring everything to a gentle simmer.

  2. Cook the octopus. Simmer gently for around 45–60 minutes, depending on its size, until the thickest part of the tentacles is completely tender when pierced with a knife. Remove the octopus from the cooking liquid and allow it to cool slightly.

  3. Grill the octopus. Once the octopus is cool enough to handle, separate the tentacles and pat them dry. Heat a grill, barbecue or very hot pan. Lightly coat the tentacles with olive oil and grill them for 1–2 minutes on each side, just enough to give them a beautiful charred colour and smoky flavour. Do not cook them for too long, as you want to keep the octopus tender.

  4. Shape the octopus. Let the grilled tentacles cool slightly, then arrange them tightly together in a cylindrical shape. Wrap them very tightly in cling film, pressing firmly to remove as many air pockets as possible. Place the wrapped octopus in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or preferably overnight. A small weight on top can help compress it.

  5. Prepare the tomato. Cut the tomatoes into small cubes or thin slices. Finely chop the shallot and basil and mix them with the tomatoes, olive oil, vinegar or lemon juice, salt and pepper. Keep chilled until serving.

  6. Prepare the fennel. Remove the outer layer of the fennel and slice the bulb as thinly as possible. For fresh fennel, dress it with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.

  7. Optional: pickle the fennel. Bring the vinegar, water, sugar and salt to a simmer. Thinly slice the fennel and place it in a clean container. Pour the warm pickling liquid over it and allow it to cool. Leave it for at least 30 minutes, or preferably a few hours, to develop a stronger flavour.

  8. Slice the octopus. Remove the octopus from the refrigerator and unwrap it. Using a very sharp knife, slice it as thinly as possible, creating delicate slices of grilled octopus.

  9. Dress the plate. Arrange the octopus slices across the plate, slightly overlapping them. Add the fresh tomato between the slices and finish with either raw fennel or a few pieces of pickled fennel.

  10. Finish. Drizzle with good olive oil and a little lemon juice. Finish with fresh basil, fennel fronds, freshly cracked pepper and a small pinch of salt.

  11. Serve. Serve immediately with toasted bread or on its own as a light Mediterranean starter. The combination of tender, lightly charred octopus, sweet tomato, crisp fennel and fresh acidity makes this a beautiful summer dish, combining the freshness of a carpaccio with the smoky character of grilled seafood.

I cook dishes like this one in people's homes across Cape Town.

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