Barbecued octopus with sausage terrine, hash brown and aioli

Use the leftovers the next morning to fry up your own version of a sausage muffin with some sweet mustard sauce.

• serves

  8

• prep

  45 minutes

• cook

  2:30 hours

• difficulty

  Ace

Ingredients

Sausage terrine

• 750 g (1 lb 10 oz) skinless pork shoulder, diced
• 750 g (1 lb 10 oz) skinless pork jowl, diced
• 6 g (⅕ oz) sodium nitrate
• 12 g (⅖ oz) fine sea salt
• 12 g (⅖ oz) light brown sugar
• 3 g freshly ground white pepper
• 3 g coriander seeds, toasted and ground
• 75 ml (2¾ fl oz) water
• canola oil spray

Octopus

• 4 medium octopus (about 165 g/5¾ oz each)

Hash browns

• 2 kg (4 lb 8 oz) desiree potatoes
• 2 tsp fine sea salt

To serve

• extra virgin olive oil
• cottonseed oil, for deep-frying
• aïoli
• sweet smoked paprika
• 1 tsp finely diced preserved lemon
• 1 spring onion (scallion), green ends only, thinly sliced
• river salt flakes

Chilling time overnight

Sitting time 40 minutes

Instructions

Sausage terrine

Pass the pork shoulder and jowl through a 1 cm (½ inch) mincing blade, alternating between the two cuts as you go to evenly mix them. The mincer will slightly emulsify the meat for you.

Pass the mince through again using an 8 mm (⅜ inch) mincing blade.

In a separate bowl, mix the sodium nitrate, salt, sugar, pepper, coriander seeds and water until combined.

Pour this mixture over the mince then put on disposable gloves and use your fingers to mix and emulsify everything until well combined and almost pasty.

Spray a square 20 cm (8 inch) baking tin that’s 4 cm (1½ inches) deep with canola oil. Line with plastic wrap then press and mould the sausage mix into the tin firmly and evenly. Slap your open hand firmly onto the terrine to remove any air pockets or bubbles.

Wrap the tin with plastic wrap ten times each way, then place in a cryovac bag and stab four holes into the terrine, piercing the plastic wrap through the cryovac bag. Place in another cryovac bag and vacuum on the longest setting — the high amount of vacuuming will press the terrine for you.

Make sure the terrine is sealed properly, then place it into a temperature controlled water bath and cook at 65°C (149°F) for 2 hours. Remove from the water and place in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Allow to cool to room temperature then refrigerate overnight.

Carefully turn the terrine out of the tin. Cut it in half then slice eight 1 cm (½ inch) thick rectangles. Save the rest (see Note).

Octopus

Clean each octopus by getting rid of the head and keeping the tentacles. Gently wash the tentacles.

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and reduce to a simmer.

Dunk the tentacles from one octopus into the simmering water for 3 seconds, then lift out and repeat three times. Do this with each octopus. This will tighten and firm the skin. Reduce the heat to very low.

Add the tentacles and leave to sit in the hot water for 40 minutes, or until tender. This may require longer depending on their size.

Remove and portion the tentacles into separate pieces.

Hash browns

Peel and steam the potatoes for 20 minutes, then set aside until just cool enough to handle.

Coarsely grate the potatoes (wear thick washing up gloves for this) into a large bowl and add the salt.

Using your hands, work the mixture to release the starches; this will help bind it together. Press into a square 20 cm (8 inch) baking tin that’s 4 cm (1½ inches) deep. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap then steam in a combination oven set to full steam (or use a large stovetop steamer) for 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven, unwrap the plastic and cover with more plastic wrap. Then, use an identically sized tray to press down onto the potatoes and refrigerate with a heavy weight on top. Leave for at least 2 hours.

After the potato has been pressed, carefully turn it out onto a chopping board and cut it in half. Slice one of the halves into eight 2.5 cm (1 inch) thick rectangles. Save the rest (see Note).

To serve

Lightly oil the terrine slices with extra virgin olive oil. Skewer and lightly oil your octopus tentacles.

Preheat a coal barbecue or grill pan to medium–hot and lightly char the octopus as you warm the sausage terrine, barbecuing until golden brown on both sides.

Meanwhile, fill a medium heavy-based saucepan a third full (no more) with the cottonseed oil and heat it to 180°C (350°F). Fry the hash browns in batches for 3−4 minutes, or until golden all over.

Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towel, then cut each hash brown into four pieces and season with salt.

Place a slice of sausage terrine on a plate and arrange your four hash brown pieces on top. Arrange some octopus tentacles leaning onto the hash brown.

Drizzle a few teaspoons of aioli over each portion of octopus and let it drip down onto the hash brown. Sprinkle over a small amount of smoked paprika, preserved lemon and green spring onion. Season lightly with salt then serve.

Note

• You'll have leftover sausage terrine and hash browns, but they freeze really well. Defrost overnight in the fridge, and the next morning you can fry up your own version of a sausage muffin with some sweet mustard sauce.

Recipe and image from Recipes for a Good Time, Ben Milgate and Elvis Abrahanowicz (Murdoch Books, $59.99, hbk)

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.