Chickpea Veloute With Grilled Octopus and Gremolata

Preparation Instructions

Ingredients

For the chickpea velouté
250g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight with 500ml water
Bouquet garni
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 celery sticks, finely diced
1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Pinch of chilli flakes
½ lemon, juiced

For the octopus
1 medium size octopus, cleaned
250ml dry white wine
Bouquet garni
2 tbsp olive oil
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For the gremolata
Small bunch of parsley, leaves picked
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 garlic clove, peeled
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

1. For the chickpea velouté, drain the soaked chickpeas and place them in a solid steam container with 500ml of hot water and the bouquet garni.
   
2. For the octopus, use another large solid steam container and add the octopus, white wine, bouquet garni and olive oil. Steam both the chickpeas and the octopus in the Miele steam oven at 100°C for 1 hour. When the time has elapsed, remove the octopus from the steam oven and steam the chickpeas for another 20 minutes on 100°C or until tender. Allow the octopus to cool down slightly in the cooking juices.
   
3. In the meantime, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and sweat the vegetables for the velouté for 10 – 15 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and chilli flakes, cook for a further minute and turn the heat off.
   
4. When the chickpeas are ready, remove the bouquet garni and reserve about a quarter of the cooked chickpeas. Blend the remaining chickpeas with about a third of the cooking liquor and the softened vegetables. Add the lemon juice, salt and black pepper and blend until very smooth. Check the seasoning and keep warm until needed.
   
5. Heat the remaining spoonful of olive oil in a frying pan over a high heat and add the reserved chickpeas, fry very quickly until crispy for 2 – 3 minutes. Drain on kitchen paper.
   
6. Cut the octopus into large serving pieces and brush with some oil. Heat a griddle pan over a high heat and sear the octopus quickly. Season and keep aside until needed.
   
7. For the gremolata, finely chop the parsley leaves and garlic, add the lemon zest, juice and enough olive oil to bind everything together.
   
8. To serve, ladle some of the velouté on to each plate followed by the seared octopus, crispy chickpeas and gremolata.

Food tip: Blend the chickpeas with the octopus stock rather than the chickpea cooking liquor for a much stronger flavour in the velouté.
Serves 4

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