Seafood Delights: Tempura Octopus with Wasabi Aioli and Cilantro

The heat is here and it's the perfect time to enjoy delicious tapas and refreshing flavors! Take note of this irresistible recipe for "Tempura Octopus with Wasabi and Cilantro Aioli", because it's an ideal option to share and enjoy on warm summer days.

This recipe combines the exquisiteness of cooked octopus with the delicacy of a crispy tempura with the touch of a slightly spicy wasabi and cilantro aioli. Get ready to enjoy an explosion of flavors and create unforgettable moments under the summer sun! While you enjoy the tender octopus and flavorful, wrapped in a golden tempura and crispy that gives it an irresistible textural touch, the wasabi and cilantro aioli will add a fresh, spicy note that will make your taste buds dance with joy.

Today's wasabi aioli gives a modern, bold twist to a classic recipe, and you'll see that with its unique combination of intense and fresh flavors, it elevates the culinary experience even more.

I encourage you this June to gather your loved ones and surprise them with this octopus tempura. It's time to celebrate the joyful spirit of tapas and thrill with the experience!

Ingredients

For the tempura octopus:

• 1 octopus (approx. 1,2 kg, previously frozen and thawed*)
• Salt
• 100 ml white vermouth
• 1 packet of tempura flour (frying flour)
• 1 bay leaf
• Sea salt flakes

For the aioli:

• 2 organic limes
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 tsp mustard
• The yolk of 1 fresh egg, size M
• 200 ml sunflower oil
• 1/2 bunch of cilantro leaves
• 2 tsps wasabi paste

For frying:

• 1.5 L oil

Preparation

If you cook the octopus in the traditional way, go directly to step 3.

1. Put the Tall Shallow Casserole Fusiontec Aromatic into a pot with 2 liters of water, the vermouth and the bay leaf. When bubbles begin to form add the octopus (previously washed).
2. Cook over low heat for 1 hour, covered. Then drain the liquid and let cool.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the aioli: wash the limes, finely grate their peel and squeeze the juice. Peel the garlic. Put the egg yolk in a blender jug along with the mustard, the garlic, 2 tablespoons of lime juice, a little salt and the oil. Blend for a short time, until a thick cream forms.
4. On the other hand, chop the cilantro, including the stems, and add it to the blender jug along with the 2 tsps of wasabi paste, and blend again with the electric blender until you obtain a homogeneous sauce with a greenish tone from the cilantro.
5. Transfer the sauce to a bowl or ramekin (in which you will serve the sauce), season with some salt flakes and the lime zest. Chill in the refrigerator, covered.
6. Using scissors, cut the octopus into pieces.
7. In a bowl, mix the tempura flour with cold water, stirring it according to the packet instructions.
8. Put oil in the Fusiontec pot or in a steel deep fryer, and heat the oil to 180 °C.
9. Dip the octopus pieces one by one in the tempura batter, let excess drip off and fry in the hot oil for 2–3 minutes, until they acquire a golden, crispy appearance.
10. Once ready, remove from the oil with the help of a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Season with sea salt flakes.
11. To serve, cut the remaining lime into slices. Take the aioli out of the fridge, stir it again and season to taste (you can add a little extra zest to garnish). Plate the crispy octopus and serve.

Notes:

• I recommend freezing and thawing the octopus before cooking it, because freezing helps break the fibers and will allow it to become more tender.
• You can cook the octopus in the pressure cooker if you prefer instead of using a traditional pot. Just put half a liter of water, the octopus, the bay leaf, the vermouth and the salt in the pressure cooker and cook there about 20 minutes from when the weight rises (depending on the size of the octopus it may need more or less time... when it's done open the pot and check that it's tender; if not, leave it a few more minutes).
• This recipe is a different proposal for boiling and cooking octopus, different from the traditional pulpo a la gallega. You can see how to boil and prepare it here, by the hand of a true expert, Galician chef Julio López.