Octopus with artichoke and tomato-mint sauce
1 serving
40 minutes
The main character in this dish is the octopus, but, oddly enough, it was not the octopus that inspired the recipe, but a seasonal European artichoke that Maria happened to have on hand. A good artichoke, by the way, is determined by its appearance: a fresh one has dense leaves that creak slightly when pressed, and the weight is always slightly greater than expected. Moreover, the smaller the artichoke, the tastier it is.
1
Cut the top off the artichoke so it can sit flat on the board. Trim the tough outer leaves, then remove and discard the fuzzy heart and a few inner purple leaves, and cut off the stem. Drizzle all cuts with lemon juice and place in a bowl of cold water.
- Artichokes: 1 piece
- Lemon juice: 30 ml
2
Peel the carrot and cut it into small cubes. Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water, then peel them and cut two of them the same way. Finally, cut the artichoke. Place the octopus tentacles in a saucepan, cover with water, and cook over medium heat for twenty to twenty-five minutes.
- Carrot: 1 piece
- Tomatoes: 3 pieces
- Octopus tentacle: 1 piece
3
In a small pan, heat olive oil, add artichoke cubes, squeeze lemon juice (you can do it by hand from half a lemon), mix, and sauté for a couple of minutes.
- Artichokes: 1 piece
- Olive oil: 50 ml
- Lemon juice: 30 ml
4
Add carrot and tomatoes to the artichoke, salt, black pepper, thyme, and minced garlic, mix and fry everything together for another two minutes. Then pour in the wine and let the liquid evaporate over low heat. It's good if the vegetables retain their shape and density.
- Carrot: 1 piece
- Tomatoes: 3 pieces
- Thyme: to taste
- Ground black pepper: to taste
- Salt: to taste
- Garlic: 1 clove
- Dry white wine: 70 ml
5
Place the remaining peeled tomato in the blender, add mint leaves (keeping a few for garnish) and blend until smooth. Drain the cooked octopus in a colander and dry.
- Tomatoes: 3 pieces
- Fresh mint: 1 bunch
6
Sear the octopus in a small pan with olive oil on all sides for three to four minutes until lightly golden (do not cook it too long, or it will become tough).
- Octopus tentacle: 1 piece
- Olive oil: 50 ml
7
Place two tablespoons of vegetable mix on serving plates, then carefully top each portion with a fried octopus tentacle.
- Octopus tentacle: 1 piece
8
Drizzle each portion with a small amount of tomato and mint sauce, and sprinkle with chopped mint leaves on top. Serve immediately.
- Tomatoes: 3 pieces
- Fresh mint: 1 bunch