Octopus, pink grapefruit and fennel

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Caterina Ceraudo's braised octopus recipe is pressure-cooked then finished in a pink grapefruit glaze for a beautiful freshness. The octopus is served with a fennel sorbet for a wonderfully light seafood starter.

First published in 2017

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Octopus with pink grapefruit glaze

  • 1 octopus, weighing 2–2½kg
  • 3l water
  • 200ml of white wine
  • 1 lemon, zested
  • 1 pink grapefruit, juice only
  • salt

Fennel sorbet

  • 3 fennel bulbs, fennel fronds saved for garnish
  • extra virgin olive oil

Equipment

  • Water bath
  • Bar sealer
  • Large vacuum bags
  • High-power blender
  • Ice cream maker
  • Pressure cooker

Method

1
Preheat a water bath to 90°C
2
Peel and wash the fennel and place in a vacuum bag with a drizzle of olive oil. Seal and cook in the water bath for 50 minutes
  • 3 fennel bulbs, fennel fronds saved for garnish
  • extra virgin olive oil
3
Once cooked, roughly chop the fennel into large pieces and blend to a smooth purée. Churn the purée in an ice cream maker until set
4
Rinse the octopus with water and place in a pressure cooker with the water, white wine and lemon zest. Cook under pressure for 55 minutes
  • 1 octopus, weighing 2–2½kg
  • 1 lemon, zested
  • 3l water
  • 200ml of white wine
5
Remove from the heat. Once cooled, safely release the pressure and remove the octopus
6
Reduce the octopus cooking liquids in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil and the grapefruit juice until you have a glaze
  • 1 pink grapefruit, juice only
7
Pat-dry the tentacles with kitchen paper and chop into individual portions. When the glaze is ready, roll the tentacles in the glaze to coat
8
Add a quenelle of the fennel sorbet to each place and add a tentacle. Serve with a garnish of fennel fronds
First published in 2017

As one of southern Italy’s most forward-thinking chefs, Caterina Ceraudo serves simple yet inventive cuisine on a biodynamic farm in Calabria. At just twenty-nine years old, she is tipped to be one of the country’s culinary greats.

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