Octopus, Lentils, Sprouted Wheat Berries, and Pistachio

Adapted by StarChefs.com
November 2014
Yield: 8 servings

INGREDIENTS:

Octopus
One 4- to 6-pound octopus
2 quarts olive oil
Peel of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons black peppercorns, toasted
2 sprigs tarragon
4 sprigs thyme
Grape-Olive Relish
900 grams red grapes
230 grams simple syrup
olive oil
125 grams shallot brunoise
125 grams Kalamata olives, thinly sliced lengthwise
125 grams Castelvetrano olives, thinly sliced
50 grams Banyuls vinegar
130 grams sorghum syrup
3 grams salt
2 grams Dijon mustard
Lentils
olive oil
¼ cup small diced carrot
¼ cup small diced onion
¼ cup Le Puy lentils
1 quart vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
To Assemble and Serve
Sprouted wheat berries
pistachios, coarsely chopped
fennel fronds

METHOD:

Octopus

Heat water bath of an immersion circulator to 77ºC. In a vacuum bag, combine all ingredients and seal at 98 percent. Cook octopus sous vide for 7 hours. Remove from water bath and let octopus cool in bag. Remove from bag and portion each tentacle into 2-ounce pieces.

Grape-Olive Relish

Toss grapes in simple syrup and dry in 140ºF-dehydrator for 2 hours. In a large sauté pan over high flame, heat olive oil and sweat shallots and olives 2 minutes. Remove from heat and gently fold in vinegar, sorghum, salt, and mustard ingredients. Cool at room temperature for 1 hour. Fold in dried grapes.

Lentils

In a medium pot, heat olive oil and sweat carrots and onions. When onions are translucent, add lentils, stock, and bay leaves and simmer 20 minutes, until lentils are tender. Pour off excess liquid and reserve, keeping warm.

To Assemble and Serve

Prepare and heat grill with white oak wood. In a bowl, combine equal parts wheat berries, Grape-Olive Relish, and Lentils. Spoon mixture onto center of serving plate. Lightly char octopus on grill and heat through. Toss octopus with pistachios to lightly coat, and arrange 3 portions on top of lentil mixture. Garnish with fennel fronds.