Octopus and Fennel Salad

I'm quite certain that for several reasons, some are already looking a bit sideways at this recipe. If you believe it's too "slimy" - you actually handle it very little before it goes into the pot. If you've had octopus in the past that's a rubbery mess - this dish is cooked long and slow resulting in a very tender meat. This is a dish we did at Petersham Nurseries Cafe and was one of my favorites. It's a wonderfully simple and tasty dish...stay with me on this one.

Serves 3-4

Ingredients
Knob of butter
1 tbsp sunflower oil
2 heads of fennel, cut into large dice
1 red onion, cut into large dice
1 head of garlic, cut across the center
1 bunch of marjoram
14 oz / 400 g tomatoes (tinned or fresh), peeled and roughly chopped
1 whole octopus, best if frozen
1 bottle of full-bodied red wine, 1 glass kept back for the cook
2 heads of fennel, very thinly sliced
2 tbsp marjoram leaves, finely chopped

Over a low heat, sweat the diced fennel, red onion and garlic in a knob of butter and oil in a deep saucepan until softened. Add the tomatoes and marjoram until the tomatoes break down. Defrost, clean and rinse the octopus. Cut the head from the body, keeping the body intact. Find the mouth in the center of the body, cut round the mouth and remove. Add the octopus and red wine and place an upturned plate on top of the octopus to keep it submerged. Bring to the boil and then simmer until tender, 2-2 1/2 hours. In testing doneness, the octopus is ready when it comes away without resistance when running a skewer through.

Remove the octopus to a dish and keep warm. Ladle a bit of the stock into a small saucepan and reduce to a desired consistency, adding butter or cream to thicken the sauce very slightly. When making the sauce, do so to personal preference. It is not necessary to thicken the sauce too much, as it is already quite a rich dish.

Slice the remaining fennel very thinly on a mandoline. Cut the body and tentacles into randomly-shaped 1-inch pieces, while cutting the head into thin slices. Build up the dish in alternating layers of sliced fennel and octopus. Garnish with the sauce, freshly chopped marjoram and a drizzle of nice olive oil. Close your eyes if need be, but be ready to be pleasantly surprised.
John Conroy


Things to remember
Freezing tenderizes the octopus, which will also cut down on the cooking time. Choose an octopus that is quite large, as it will "shrink" during cooking.

Fennel can be a very strong flavor for some, but slicing it thinly softens the flavor a bit.