Chef Shelton uses a 4- by 2-inch round cake ring to mold the salad on the plate.
Recipe information
Yield
Serves 4 as a first course
Ingredients
For cooking octopus
For marinating octopus
For sauce
Preparation
Cook octopus:
Step 1
Cut tentacles from octopus and discard head. Coarsely chop carrots, onion, and celery. In a large kettle cover octopus, carrots, onion, celery, parsley, peppercorns, cloves, and bay leaf with water and bring to a boil. Simmer mixture, covered, 40 minutes, or until octopus is tender. Remove kettle from heat and cool mixture 30 minutes.
Step 2
Transfer octopus with tongs to a colander and discard cooking liquid and vegetable mixture. Rub octopus gently under cold running water to remove as much of purple outer coating as possible without removing suction cups. Drain octopus and cut crosswise into paper-thin slices. Octopus may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
Marinate octopus:
Step 3
In a bowl stir together all marinade ingredients. Transfer half of marinade to another bowl and reserve, covered and chilled. Add octopus to remaining marinade, tossing to combine. Marinate octopus, covered and chilled, 1 day. Bring octopus to room temperature before proceeding. With a slotted spoon transfer octopus and chili to bowl of reserved marinade and discard any remaining used marinade. Marinate octopus, covered and chilled, 1 day more. Bring octopus to room temperature before proceeding.
Make sauce:
Step 4
In a small bowl stir together yogurt and lime juice and season with salt and pepper. Chill sauce, covered, until ready to assemble salad.
Step 5
Cut mint and coriander leaves into thin shreds. Peel and seed tomato. Diagonally cut scallions crosswise into thin slices and cut tomato, bell pepper, and cucumber into julienne strips.
Step 6
Transfer octopus to another bowl and discard marinade and chili. Toss octopus with shredded mint and coriander, tomato, scallions, bell pepper, cucumber, 2 tablespoons sauce, and salt and pepper to taste.
Step 7
Pour a small amount of sauce onto centers of 4 chilled plates. Mound one fourth octopus salad in center of 1 plate. (If using ring mold, put it in center of plate, fill it with one fourth octopus salad, and carefully remove mold.) Repeat procedure with remaining 3 plates. Garnish salads with mint and drizzle with some sauce. Serve any remaining sauce on the side.
