Grilled Octopus and Chorizo with Crushed Potatoes, Grilled Scallions and Romesco Sauce

Piquant and smoky, Romesco sauce mirrors and complements other flavors and textures in this dish. “The way I make it is coarse,” Pollinger says. “It’s got a particular kind of coarseness to it, where the whole dish is very rustic and country-like.”

May 06, 2019

Ingredients

For the grilled octopus

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for grilling
2 garlic cloves, sliced thin
2 shallots, sliced thin
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 small sprig fresh rosemary
4½ pounds whole octopus, eyes and beaks cut out and discarded, rinsed well
½ cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock or water

For the crushed potatoes

1 pound medium Yukon gold potatoes
½ cup chicken stock
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Leaves from 6–8 sprigs fresh parsley, cut into chiffonade

For the grilled scallions and chorizo

2 bunches scallions, roots trimmed off and discarded
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
2 links Spanish-style chorizo, skin removed, halved lengthwise

For the Romesco sauce

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for frying and coating
¼ cup Marcona almonds
¼ cup skinned hazelnuts
1½ slices sourdough bread, crust removed, cut into ½-inch dice
1 head garlic
6 medium plum tomatoes
½ (14-ounce) can whole piquillo peppers, drained, seeded and coarsely chopped
¼ cup red wine vinegar
Salt

Preparation

To braise the octopus:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place a large ovenproof pot over medium heat and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and shallots and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring often, until they are translucent but not yet browned. Add the fennel seeds and pepper flakes and cook for I minute. Add the rosemary, stir well and then add the octopus; cook for about 5 minutes, until the octopus skin turns reddish purple and the flesh Arms up. Pour in the wine and let it boil for I minute, then pour in the stock or water When the liquid comes to a boil, remove it from the heat, cover the pot with a lid or foil and transfer it to the oven. Braise the octopus for 1½ to 2 hours or until it is fork tender

When the octopus is tender remove it from the oven and let it cool to room temperature in the liquid. Keep the oven on, unless you are braising the octopus the day before. (Note: It’s even better if you cook the octopus one day ahead of grilling; let it cool to room temperature in the liquid, then cover and refrigerate it overnight.)

To make the crushed potatoes:

Boil the potatoes in a large pot of salted water until tender; drain well and return the potatoes to the pot.

Crush the cooked potatoes with the back of a fork, then add the chicken stock and oil. Crush and stir with the fork until the stock and oil are incorporated, leaving the potatoes chunky. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the parsley and stir a bit more to incorporate. Cover the pot and set aside.

To grill the octopus:

Remove the octopus from the liquid and pat it dry. Using a sharp knife, cut off the head and separate the tentacles from each octopus. Discard the heads.

Heat an outdoor grill or grill pan to high. Scrape the grates so they are very clean, then brush them with oil.

Drizzle the octopus tentacles with a little olive oil, then place them on the grill at an angle to the grates. Grill for 2 minutes, rotate the tentacles 90 degrees and cook for 2 more minutes. Flip the tentacles and cook until they are warmed through, about 2 to 4 minutes more. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil.

To grill the scallions and chorizo:

Drizzle the scallions with oil and season with salt. Grill the scallions for I minute or until lightly charred, then flip them and grill for I more minute. Transfer to a platter and cover with foil.

Place the halved chorizo on the grill, cut-side down at an angle to the grates; grill for I minute, then rotate the sausages 90 degrees and grill for I minute more. Flip and grill for I minute, just until heated through. Transfer to the platter with the scallions and cover with foil. Keep the grill on.

To make the Romesco sauce:

Coat the bottom of a small skillet with ¼ inch of olive oil and heat it to 350°F. Fry the almonds, hazelnuts and bread in batches until golden. Remove the skillet from the heat; transfer the nuts and bread to a plate and reserve the oil for future use. Alternately, toast the nuts and bread in a 350°F oven until golden.

Rub the garlic head with a little olive oil, wrap it in foil and roast it in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove it from the oven and let it cool to room temperature. Unwrap the garlic, separate the cloves and squeeze the garlic pulp from the skins into a small bowl.

Using a sharp paring knife, remove the greenish-white core at the stem end of the tomatoes, leaving them whole, then rub them with oil. Grill the tomatoes, turning often, just until the skins are charred. Transfer the charred tomatoes to a plate and let them cool to room temperature. Remove the skins, cut the tomatoes in half and remove the seeds. Coarsely chop the tomatoes.

Place the fried almonds, hazelnuts and bread in a food processor; grind to medium-fine crumbs. Add the roasted garlic pulp and grind for 20 seconds, then add the chopped tomatoes and peppers and continue grinding until the mixture is smooth with some chunks remaining. While the processor is running, stream in the vinegar and the ½ cup of oil. Season with salt to taste.

To plate the dish:

Place a scoop of potatoes on each of four plates. Place ¼ cup Romesco sauce on each plate in front of the potato. (Reserve excess sauce for future use.) Lay a few scallions over the potato. Cut the chorizo pieces in half again on an angle. Nestle a few pieces against the potato. Lean some octopus tentacles against the potato and sausage.

About this recipe

Recipe courtesy of Chef-Owner Ben Pollinger • The Hill, Closter

Serves 4 as a main course