Grilled Octopus, Peperonata Sauce and Bitter Leaves Salad

This recipe for Grilled Octopus, Peperonata Sauce and Bitter Leaves Salad promises to be the perfect lunch for any seafood lover!

Read on for the full recipe – part of our Italian-inspired Taste of Summer series.

Prep time: 15 mins + overnight chill time (+1 hour 30 mins cooking time)

Serves: 6

Featured Appliances: Everdure By Heston Blumenthal ‘FORCE’ 2-Burner Gas Barbecue & Kenwood ‘Multipro XL Weigh+’ Food Processor

The Everdure by Heston Blumenthal Force 2-Burner Gas BBQ. — *Everdure By Heston Blumenthal ‘FORCE’ 2-Burner Gas Barbecue (with the Everdure KILN 2-Burner Pizza Oven pictured next to it on a bench)*

Ingredients

300ml white wine vinegar

200ml white wine

2 garlic cloves

1 bay leaf

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tbs sea salt flakes

1.2kg octopus tentacles

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Thyme, to serve

Lemon wedges, to serve

Peperonata sauce

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 red onion, coarsely chopped

250g Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped

2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1 red chilli, roughly chopped

2 anchovies

1kg jar of capsicum strips, drained

Bitter leaves salad

4 watermelon radish

1 radicchio, washed, leaves pulled apart

1 witlof, washed, leaves pulled apart

1 frisse, washed, leaves pulled apart

⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil

3 tbs lemon juice

Method for Grilled Octopus, Peperonata Sauce and Bitter Leaves Salad

1. To make the brine for the octopus, add vinegar, wine, garlic, bay leaf, lemon juice and sea salt to 1.5L of water in a large saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil then add octopus. If the octopus is not fully submerged, top up with more water.

2. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until tender. Remove pot from heat, leaving octopus in brine. Set aside until room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator and chill overnight.

3. To make the peperonata sauce, heat olive oil in a large frypan over low heat. Add onion, tomatoes, garlic, chilli and anchovies. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until softened. Set aside for 15 minutes to cool slightly.

4. Transfer the mixture to the Kenwood ‘Multipro XL Weigh+’ Food Processor, add capsicum and process until smooth. Season to taste.

5. Bring Everdure By Heston Blumenthal ‘FORCE’ 2-Burner Gas Barbecue to high heat.

6. Remove the octopus from the brine and pat dry with paper towel. Add to a bowl and toss with olive oil before grilling for 3-4 minutes on each side or until charred.

7. To make the bitter leaves salad, use a mandolin to thinly slice watermelon radish. Combine radicchio, witlof, frisse and radish in a serving bowl. Combine olive oil and lemon juice in a small jar, season with sea salt and pepper, and shake to emulsify. Pour over salad. Serve octopus with peperonata sauce, bitter leaves salad, thyme and lemon wedges.