Crisp Confit of Baby Octopus, Housemade Hot Sauce, Warm Potato Salad

Ingredients:

Octopus
• 2 pounds tenderized baby octopus
• ½ gallon extra-virgin olive oil

Hot Sauce
• 1 cup white distilled vinegar
• 1 cup cherry peppers, stemmed
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Potato Salad
• 3 cups Idaho® Fingerling Potatoes, small dice
• ½ cup Spanish onion, small dice
• ½ cup aïoli
• ¼ cup carrot, small dice
• ¼ cup celery, small dice
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Garnish
• Fresh parsley or chives, chopped, as needed for garnish

Instructions:

Octopus

1. Clean the octopus as needed.
2. In a large saucepan, poach the octopus in the olive oil on low heat for 2 to 3 hours, until tender.

Hot Sauce

1. Bring the vinegar to a boil, then pour over the peppers.
2. Weigh the peppers down and leave covered for at least an hour.
3. Drain the peppers, reserving the vinegar.
4. Put the peppers and half the reserved vinegar in a blender and blend until smooth.
5. With the blender running, stream the olive oil in slowly, then add the xanthan gum and salt.

Potato Salad

1. Cook the diced potatoes in boiling water until tender.
2. Combine all the remaining ingredients except salt and pepper.
3. Add the cooked, drained potatoes to the mixture while they’re still hot; stir to combine and season to taste.

Assembly

1. Sear the poached octopus in a black steel pan or a cast-iron pan over high heat until charred and crisp, about 5 minutes.
2. Toss the octopus in the hot sauce.
3. Plate over the warm potato salad, using about 1 cup octopus and ½ cup potato salad per portion.
4. Garnish with parsley or chives.