A Delicacy From The Deep
Prepared in a variety of ways, octopus is a common food found in many South American, Mediterranean and Asian cultures. Some of the most famous Asian dishes hail from Korea, such as the spicy grilled baby octopus, known as jjukkumi gui, and the delightful stir-fried octopus legs. Perhaps one of the most controversial, yet very popular dishes, is nakji. Prepared by cutting a small octopus into pieces while still alive, it’s lightly seasoned with sesame and served immediately. In Japan there is a surprisingly wide selection of stewed and boiled dishes, such as takokura, whilst in Mexico it is popularly tossed in leafy salads dressed with chilli oil.
How To Catch | Being both pelagic and bottom dwellers, the techniques used to snare an octopus vary greatly. In South Asia, they are often spear caught, whilst on the Tunisian island of Djerba, local people take advantage of the animals’ nocturnal habit of hiding in crevices. In the evening, they simply place containers on the sea bed, returning in the morning to claim their prize.
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Piovra
At Soleil, The Mulia, Mulia Resort & Villas – Nusa Dua, Bali
Soleil, the beautiful seaside restaurant of The Mulia, Mulia Resort & Villas in Nusa Dua, offers Mediterranean and Pan-Asian cuisine. The internationally acclaimed chefs will satisfy your palate as you gaze at their magnificent view of the Indian Ocean. One of our favourite menu items is the Piovra, a grilled octopus dish. The main ingredient is sourced in Nusa Penida and Lombok by spear fishermen commissioned by Soleil to ensure sustainable fishing. The culinary team uses an ancient technique to make the meat tender and flavourful, which includes an agitation process as well as an initial poaching to impart both flavour and colour. The octopus is then placed into the charcoal-fired Spanish oven at 350 degrees Celsius. The chef loves the char that is achieved from cooking octopus over charcoal made especially from Balinese coffee wood for a unique taste. To complete the dish, the meat is then drizzled with Spanish olive oil, given a squeeze of lemon and accompanied by capers, arugula and red bell peppers.
www.themulia.com/soleil-nusa-dua
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Baby Octopus Ebony Fried Rice
At Negev
Located in the busy City Plaza Building amidst Jakarta’s lively metropolitan scene, Negev is a perky dining space that offers both elegance and a comfortable atmosphere encapsulated in an exquisite art space. Aside from serving ravishing international comfort food designed by Master Chef Dody Jie, Negev also caters to your artistic appetite by hosting bi-monthly art exhibitions within its already artistic interiors. The exquisite Baby Octopus Ebony Fried Rice at Negev is a perfect example of the chef’s prowess in harnessing the riches of the ocean and augmenting it with his own artistic touches. A wickedly stylish interpretation of one of the world’s most popular comfort foods, fragrant basmati rice is energetically stir-fried over a fast and furious flame with an intoxicating blend of herbs and spices, baby octopus, egg and black octopus ink. Served with skewered pickles, Indonesian traditional rempeyek crackers, egg yolk with snow foam, black crumble, red and green chilli condiments, this unique culinary masterpiece is made more gorgeous with the addition of a delicate flower blossom as a finishing touch.
www.negevgastro.com
