The prospect of trying out an octopus preparation was, daunting to say the least. The eight arms alone of the sea dwelling creature are sufficient to give anyone the heebie-jeebies. But the octopus is a delicacy of great repute in Japanese and Korean cuisines. May be it’s the proximity to the sea, or the lifestyle.
We will never know. But the preparation that we tried was Italian. Yes, the sea monster cooked in the Italian way. Don’t be surprised the Italians have been cooking it and eating the octopus for a while. That’s what the Sam Gimignano restaurant at the Imperial Hotel has on their menu, the authentic octopus recipes from those regions of Italy, where the octopus is eaten.
This was substantiated by the executive sous chef of the hotel, Vishal Atreya. “Octopus is eaten in the coastal region of Italy and all the different regions cook it differently. We have brought the preparations exclusive to the south of Italy,” he informed.
Octopus and Italian cuisine — this is a combination that many are not aware of. Agreed the chef, “That was one of the major reasons of trying out this new menu. We wanted people to get exposed to new tastes and styles of cooking. We also wanted to educate them on various flavours and ways to cook the dishes.”
Maybe, it was the overdose of Discovery channel, or the sheer number of science classes slept through, octopus was never imagined to be delicious.
Carpaccio Di Polpo was a revelation. Traditionally part of the Italian Antipasto platter, the Carpaccio was a piece of art.
“The key, to make the octopus is to cook it on slow flame, but for an extended period of time. Octopus needs to be brazed with white wine, all on low heat. That’s the trick. Italians are the masters in slow cooking. They were the first ones to introduce it in Europe,” explained chef Atreya.
True to his word, the Carpaccio was brazed for about an hour in white wine and then compressed with gelatin. After the compression, the meat needs to be frozen. Then it can be used whenever one wishes to.
The delicate style of the Carpaccio, the thin slices, with a slight hint of Dill and lettuce make it more flavourful. The flavours are accentuated with the slow cooking style, and the herbs and spices used do not overpower the distinct taste of the octopus.
“This is the best time to have an octopus. It’s the breeding time. We use baby octopus in our preparations, which comes from Cochin. The meat is more tender and easily chewable, as opposed to the meat of the fully grown octopus. The octopus is beneficial for heart patients and has high contents of Vitamin B3 and B12,” the chef said.
He also recommended the Polpi In Umido, a stew preparation that contains baby octopus meat cooked with fresh tomatoes. This dish comes from Sicily. The octopus is cooked with wine and then bound with gelatin. The stew is flavoured with garlic, chillies and wine.
For all the people who still associate pasta with Italy, well they need not be disappointed. There is the Polpi Friti Sopre Pasta, Gratinati. The pasta consists of angel hair pasta topped with fried baby octopus and is gratinated.
They are not that bad, the eight armed monsters. When you have them at the Sam Gimignano.
Meal for two: Rs 5000 plus taxes
Rating: 8/10
RECIPE
CARPACCIO DI POLPO
Ingredients
Cleaned baby octopus 1800gm
Chilli flakes 5gm
Chopped garlic 30gm
Olive oil 200ml
White wine 100ml
Fresh basil 10gm
Fresh fennel 1200gm
Orange segments 400gm
Salt and pepper 10gm
Gelatin sheet No 4
Method
- In a large stock pot, add chopped garlic, chilli flakes and octopus.
- Cook for a minute, then add white wine, lower the heat and simmer for 40-60 minutes depending on the size of the octopus.
- Remove the octopus, add gelatin, cool it for few minutes.
- Lay out on a sheet of clingfilm and roll up tightly.
- Pierce the finished roll with a sharp knife to allow the excess moisture to pour.
- Place on a tray for four to six hours.
- Slice the fennel bulb, keep it in a bowl add orange segments, lemon juice and add some olive oil and toss well.
- Slice the octopus very thinly and arrange on a serving plate, season with salt and pepper and arrange the salad over the octopus carpaccio and serve immediately.
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