Octopus salad

Ingredients:

Octopus

• 700 g of cleaned octopus tentacles
• 1 tbsp. + 0.5 tsp. coarse salt
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 large onion, cut into quarters
• 2 crushed garlic cloves
• 1 inch piece of peeled fresh ginger root, thinly sliced
• 1 lemon, cut in half
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tbsp. l. olive oil
• 2 tablespoons sambal paste
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 0.5 tsp ground black pepper
• Special equipment: stand mixer with paddle attachment and pressure cooker

Sauce

• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp. l. rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh ginger
• 1 tbsp. l. sesame oil
• 1 tsp. sambal paste
• Vegetable oil for grill pan

Salad

• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 1.5 tbsp. l. rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 bunch of watercress
• 2 cups thinly sliced ​​Chinese cabbage
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
• Half a red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp. grated lemon zest

Preparation:

1. Octopus:
   
   In a mixer bowl, combine the octopus with 1 tablespoon of salt. Turn the mixer on high and soften the octopus for 5 minutes.
2. In a pressure cooker, combine the chicken broth, onion, garlic, ginger, lemon, soy sauce, olive oil, sambal paste, red pepper, 1 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Remove the octopus from the blender and rinse well to remove the salt. Place the octopus in the pressure cooker, close the lid, and cook over medium heat until tender, 20–25 minutes.
3. Sauce:
   
   Combine oyster sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and sambal paste in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
4. Remove the octopus from the pressure cooker and drain the liquid.
5. Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat and brush the grates with oil. Grill the octopus, brushing with the sauce and turning once, until golden brown, 2–3 minutes per side.
6. Salad:
   
   In a large bowl, combine the vegetable oil, vinegar, and sesame oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the watercress, napa cabbage, bell pepper, cucumber, red onion, and lemon zest and toss to coat with the dressing. Divide the salad among 4 plates. Top each serving with a few pieces of smoked octopus.