serves
2
prep
15 minutes
cook
1 hour
difficulty
Mid
serves
2
people
preparation
15
minutes
cooking
1
hour
difficulty
Mid
level
Ingredients
- 1 medium octopus, cleaned and tenderised
- salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Desert lime nam jim dressing
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 red long chillies
- 4 birds eye chillies
- 20 g desert limes
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 5 limes, juiced
- ½ tsp desert herbs
- 75 g (⅓ cup) caster sugar
Poaching broth
- ½ bunch celery
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp sea salt
- 1 onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- ½ bunch parsley
- 125 ml (1 cup) white wine
- Cooked sea noodles, to serve
Serves 2 as a starter
Instructions
- Salt the octopus and stand for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, for the dressing, place the garlic, chillies and desert limes in a mortar and pound with a pestle until roughly chopped. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the remaining ingredients.
- Place all the poaching broth ingredients into a large pot with 1 litre of water. Bring to boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the octopus to the poaching broth and simmer gently for 30 - 40 minutes or until tender, depending on thickness. Drain and set aside.
- Heat a cast iron pan over high heat. Add the oil, then char the octopus in the pan for 2 minutes on each side or until golden. Serve with sea noodles and desert lime nam jim dressing.
Photography by Adam Liaw.
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Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
