grilled octopus with braised onions & faba bean purée

Octopus with fava is a classic dish found right through Greece. Fava is classically made using yellow split peas, here we’ve swapped them out with Faba bean. Enjoy!

Author

Travis McAuley, Hellenic Republic

Servings

8

Ingredients

• 2 cups Mount Zero Split Faba beans
• ½ brown onion, roughly diced
• 1 clove garlic
• 125ml Mount Zero Frantoio Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
• Mount Zero Pink Lake Salt, to taste
• 200ml Mount Zero Frantoio Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 brown onions, sliced
• 2 tbsp baby capers
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1kg Fremantle octopus
• 50ml Mount Zero Frantoio Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions

1. Rinse faba beans under warm water. Place into a saucepan along with the diced onion, garlic and 2 litres of water.
2. Bring to the boil and then simmer until beans tender. Strain, reserving the liquid.
3. Place into food processor and blend with 125ml of olive oil and the sherry vinegar until smooth. Adjust consistency with some of the reserved liquid until the consistency of semi whipped cream. Season to taste. Place into a bowl and cover until required.
4. Place the sliced brown onion, baby capers and 200ml of extra virgin olive oil in a saucepan. Cook over a medium to low heat until onions soft and a deep golden colour.
5. Finish with white wine vinegar and season to taste. Keep aside.
6. Preheat a fan forced oven to 250 degrees Celsius.
7. Wash the octopus under cold water. Pat dry and place onto a baking tray.
8. Drizzle with olive oil and rub all over the octopus, lining the legs up so that they are straight. Bake for 8 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
9. Preheat the barbecue.
10. Grill the octopus over a medium heat for approx. 4 minutes on each side until the excess skin on the legs is crispy. Place back into roasting tray to rest in the cooking juices. Rest for further 5 minutes.
11. Spoon faba into serving dish and top with the braised onions. Slice the octopus, toss back through resting tray juices and then arrange on top of the faba bean purée.