Grilled Octopus with White Bean, Herbs and Lemon

Grilled Octopus with White Bean, Herbs and Lemon
Serves 2 

Octopus is having a moment and there’s a little love/hate with it, given that octopuses are incredibly intelligent. Treat it with care and enjoy fully is all I can say! If you can find octopus, this dish works just as well with squid or calamari. 

½ lb. cooked octopus*
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¾ teaspoon salt, divided
1 15-ounce can cannellini or white beans, drained and rinsed
1 lemon, zested and juiced, divided
½ cucumber, cubed or cut into 1” organic shapes 
Maldon salt, to finish 
¼ cup slivered almonds, garnish 

Heat a large grill pan or outdoor grill to medium high heat. Season octopus with olive oil and salt. Grill octopus for 2-3 minutes per side or until deeply golden brown and slightly crispy. Remove and cool slightly before cutting into 1” or bite-size pieces. 

In a small food processor or blender, blend half the beans with ½ lemon, juiced and 1-2 tablespoons water. Blend until smooth. 

To assemble, sear the bean puree on the bottom of your serving plate and shingle octopus and cucumber. Season entire dish with remaining ½ lemon, lemon zest and salt. Sprinkle almonds and serve. 

* Chef’s Note: If you can’t find cooked octopus, place raw octopus in water, broth, or dry wine (preferably white as to not affect the color), and cook until tender. Do no season the liquid with salt, as this tends to toughen the meat. Simply season generously before grilling. This should be about an hour per pound. When octopus is tender, remove and cool slightly. A filmy skin can be rubbed off the outside of the octopus using a paper towel, not dissimilar to how you’d remove the skin of a beet. Do not remove skin around tentacles to maintain a beautiful plated presentation.