Tandoori Octopus with Yogurt, Cauliflower, and Grapefruit
Active Time
2 HR 45 MIN
Total Time
8 HR 45 MIN
Yield
Serves : 8
By Ludo Lefebvre

Chef Ludo Lefebvre first made this Tandoori Octopus at his pop-up restaurant in Los Angeles, LudoBites. A customer favorite, this unusual combination of flavors comes together for a surprising but delicious dish. With deep, smoky flavor from an overnight marinade in tandoori paste and a quick few minutes on the grill, the octopus is tender throughout with a crisp exterior. Ask your fishmonger for whole octopus. Frozen is fine, too—simply defrost it in a bowl of room-temperature water. Recipe excerpted from the cookbook LudoBites by Ludo Lefebvre, pages 334-336, published by HarperCollins, 2012.

Ingredients

Octopus

  • 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
  • 1 onion, coarsely chopped
  • 2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
  • 1 head garlic, halved crosswise
  • 3 thyme sprigs
  • 8 cups water
  • 4 cups dry white wine (such as Sancerre)
  • 1 (6- to 8-pounds) octopus, cleaned


Marinade

  • 1 1/4 cups jarred tandoori paste (from one 11-ounce jar, such as Patak’s)
  • 1/4 cup tomato sauce
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon molasses
  • 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

Yogurt Sauce

  • 1/3 cup plain whole-milk goat yogurt
     
  • 1/3 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
  • Kosher salt

Additional Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 1 large pink grapefruit, segmented and cut into small cubes
  • 1/4 head cauliflower, cored, florets thinly sliced on a mandoline
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground white pepper
  • Fleur de sel

How to Make It

Step 1    Make the octopus:

Heat grapeseed oil in a 6-quart enameled cast-iron casserole over medium-high. Add onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and thyme; cook until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add 8 cups water and wine, and bring to a simmer. Add octopus; bring liquid to a near simmer, and reduce heat to low. If necessary, cover octopus with a plate so that it remains submerged. Simmer until a small knife glides easily through octopus arm, about 2 hours. (Do not allow water to boil or the skin will fall away; slow and gentle is the key.)

Step 2    

Remove octopus from cooking liquid, and let cool; discard cooking liquid. Cut octopus legs away from head; discard head.

Step 3    Make the marinade:

Combine tandoori paste, tomato sauce, honey, molasses, and sherry vinegar in a large bowl. Add octopus legs; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate 6 hours or up to overnight.

Step 4    Meanwhile, make the yogurt sauce:

Combine goat yogurt and Greek yogurt in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Step
Step 5    

Heat olive oil in a large cast-iron grill or skillet over high. Remove octopus legs from marinade, and lightly shake off excess marinade (The octopus should still be well coated). Add octopus legs to skillet; cook until almost black, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board, and cut each octopus leg into 3 pieces.

Step 6    

Spoon about 1 tablespoon yogurt sauce into center of each of eight plates. Combine grapefruit and cauliflower in a bowl, and season to taste with salt and white pepper. Place about 1 tablespoon grapefruit mixture on top of yogurt sauce on each plate. Arrange 3 octopus leg pieces on each plate. Lightly drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle lightly with fleur de sel, and serve immediately.

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