Chef Patrick’s octopus salad
Very popular in many parts of the world, the octopus is available in a casserole or stew in the southeast of France, in stew in La Reunion, in fricassee in the West Indies, braised in Italy, in tapas in Spain, cooked in Portugal, sushi in Japan… Enjoy it as a salad in New Caledonia!
The octopus is honoured
A true star of the Les Jardins restaurant of the Hôtel du Centre, octopus salad is a great success in any season of the year. If you are fond of it too, why not indulge yourself while cooking? For an entrée or a main course, treat yourself with Chef Patrick’s recipe, which we reveal exclusively to you!
Ingredients
For 4 serves:
- 1 octopus from 800 grams to 1 kg
- 1 cucumber
- 1 green pepper
- 2 carrots
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/2 bunch of coriander
- 1 green lemon
- 4 tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon of semolina sugar
- salt and pepper
Culinary preparation
1. Clean the octopus with fresh water and prepare it by removing the beak, eyes and black ink pockets.
2. Cook the octopus in a large volume of water, covered and on low heat, for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
3. In the meantime, rinse and prepare the side dish: peel and chop the cucumber before letting it drain, dice the green pepper, peel and grate the carrots, chop the garlic after thawing and chop the coriander.
4. Once the octopus is cooked, drain it before cutting into small cubes and let it cool down.
5. In a large salad bowl, mix the octopus pieces with the vegetables and condiments. Add the lemon juice, oil, vinegar, soy sauce and sugar. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Cover the bowl with a Clingfilm before placing it in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
7. After resting, check the seasoning, then organise the salad in bowls or shallow plates, before serving very fresh.
Trick and advice
Chef Patrick’s trick is to use sugar in his recipe to reduce the acidity brought by lemon and vinegar.
But the success of your salad will also depend on the quality of your products. It is therefore preferable to choose a fresh octopus rather than a frozen one, ensuring that it exudes a beautiful iodine smell and that its appearance is firm and shiny. And if you are not reassured to have to prepare it yourself, kindly ask your fishmonger to do you this service.
Your check list
The key to making an octopus salad worthy of a great Chef?
- Anticipate the necessary cooking and resting times to ensure you are well in advance.
- Select fresh products first.
- Give preference to green lemon, more fragrant than yellow lemon and balsamic vinegar, sweeter than any other.
- Never forget the must in New Caledonian cuisine: soy sauce!
