Octopus, cucumber, horseradish and sorrel nori

Margot Janse

Margot Janse

25th March 2015
Margot Janse

Octopus, cucumber, horseradish and sorrel nori

Octopus, cucumber, horseradish and sorrel nori - serves 4

Ingredients

  • Octopus:
  • 500gr Octopus tentacles
  • Sorrel Seaweed Crisp:
  • 25 grams sorrel
  • 15 grams sea lettuce
  • A pinch of salt
  • Flan:
  • 125 ml Reserved and strained octopus juice, oil removed
  • 1 egg
  • 2 grams squid ink
  • Pickled mushrooms:
  • 12 small shimeji mushrooms
  • 10 grams verjuice
  • 4 grams squid ink
  • 25 grams vegetable nage
  • 1 gram salt
  • Crispy Quinoa:
  • 50 grams quinoa
  • A pinch of salt
  • Cucumber Water:
  • 100 grams peeled and cleaned cucumber, seeds removed
  • 5 grams horseradish, finely grated
  • 1 gram salt
  • To finish the dish:
  • Thinly sliced octopus
  • 40 grams daikon (finely grated)
  • 16 radish shoots
  • Lemon flavoured olive oil

Method

Octopus:

Vacuum pack the octopus with a little olive oil.

Cook in a water bath at 69°C for 12 hours.

Reserve the juices which are left in the bag for the flan.

Sorrel Seaweed Crisp:

Blanch the sorrel and the seaweed in boiling water for 30 second.

Refresh in ice water.

Blend until puree, season with the salt.

Spread the mixture thinly on a silicone sheet and leave to dry at 50°C for 2 hours, or until crispy.

Once crisp, cut into four equal sizes and store in an airtight container.

Flan:

Preheat oven to 140°C

Blend the octopus stock with the egg and squid ink, season. Rest the mixture for an hour to settle it and remove all the air.

Lightly grease 6 shallow silicone moulds. Place a cloth inside an oven tray big enough to hold the mould and place the mould on top. Pour the mixture into the moulds. Fill the tray with warm water, half way up the sides of the mould.

Wrap the tray with clingfilm, making sure that it is tight to prevent it from perforating and then place in oven for 12 minutes.

Leave to cool and place moulds in the fridge. Once cold, remove them from the mould and cover with plastic until required.

Pickled mushrooms:

Place all the ingredients in a vacuum sealed bag and cook it in a waterbag at 85°C for ten minutes.

Remove from the waterbath and leave to cool.

Crispy Quinoa:

Cook the quinoa in boiling water until soft.

Drain and leave to dry on paper towel.

Once dried, fry in oil set to 130°C until golden brown and crispy. Season with salt and place on paper towel again to drain off any excess oil.

Cucumber Water:

Blend the cucumber until fine, add the horseradish and salt, place in freezer until frozen.

Place the frozen cucumber in muslin cloth stretched over a bowl and leave to defrost in the fridge.

To finish the dish:

Place a flan in the centre of a warmed bowl, top with a few mushrooms, followed by the grated seasoned daikon and some radish shoots.

Place 5 slices of the octopus on top and then add the crispy quinoa.

Drizzle a small amount of the lemon oil around the items.

Warm the cucumber water slightly and finish with a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon.

Do not let it boil.

Place a sheet of the sorrel nori on top.

Pour the cucumber consommé over the nori.

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