Baby Spanish Octopus Ceviche with Pickled Mustard Seeds, Our Garden Pico, Compressed Watermelon, Crispy Plantain and Citrus Lace

Recipe by Anthony Capua, Executive Chef at Sycamore Hills Golf Club, Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA
Image by Diana DeLucia

Serves 2

Ingredients

Baby Octopus

• 1- pound Baby Octopus 
• 4 sprigs of Rosemary
• 2 sprigs of Thyme
• 2-ounces Spanish Olive Oil 
• 1-ounce Salted Water 
• Salt (to taste)

Garden Pico

• 5 Garden Heirloom Tomatoes 
• ½ Red Onion
• 9 Cilantro Leaves
• 1 Lime (juiced)
• 1 Lemon (juiced)
• 1 medium Jalapeno(sliced)
• ¼ ounce Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Pickled Mustard Seeds

• ½ cup White Wine Vinegar
• ½ cup Water
• 3 Tablespoons Sugar
• ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
• ⅓ cups Yellow Mustard Seeds
• 1 small to medium-sized Shallot (thinly sliced into rings)

Crispy Plantain

• 1 whole Plantain
• Salt and Pepper (to taste)
• 2 cups Canola Oil (for deep frying)

Compressed Watermelon

• 1 small Seedless Watermelon
• ½ cup Rice Wine Vinegar
• 8 Cilantro Leaves
• ¼ cup White Cane Sugar

Garnish

• Edible Flowers and Sorrels (The Chef's Garden)

Preparation

Baby Octopus
Fill a medium-sized pot with 16 quarts of water, and place on medium-high heat. Once the water comes to a boil, add salt, place the octopus in the pot for five minutes, and remove and place it into an ice bath. Once the octopus is chilled, remove and strain for up to 10 mins; start to remove tentacles and place into a sous-vide bag with rosemary, thyme, and one ounce of Spanish olive oil. Sous-vide the octopus at 134 F for up to 90 minutes, remove it from the sous-vide bag, and place it in an ice bath. Once the octopus has cooled down, place the octopus on a board, cut ¼-inch medallions, and set it aside.

Garden Pico
Slice tomatoes into quarters and place them into a bowl with the diced onion, jalapenos, and chopped cilantro leaves. Squeeze the lime and lemon juice into a bowl with the extra virgin olive oil. Mix, then set aside. 

Pickled Mustard Seeds
Combine the white wine vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, and then stir in mustard seeds. Turn heat down to medium-low, cook until the seeds are tender, and look plump for about 30 minutes. Stir in shallots and remove the saucepan from heat. Let the mustard seeds cool to room temperature, then transfer to a jar with a lid and refrigerate. Chef Note: When stored in an airtight jar and refrigerated, pickled mustard seeds will keep well for two months.

Crispy Plantain
Peel the whole plantain and slice about five inches on a mandolin, deep fry for about three to four minutes until crispy and the plantain holds like a plank. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to finish.

Compressed Watermelon
Peel the skin off the watermelon. With a melon-baller, scoop 20-30 balls of watermelon and place them into a petite sous-vide bag. Take the rice wine vinegar, sugar, and cilantro and place in a small metal bowl, then whisk until the sugar has dissipated into the vinegar. Place in the refrigerator for up to one hour to chill, remove from the bag, and strain the liquid. Put the liquid into a sous-vide bag and pour it over the watermelon with a vacuum sealer. Remove air from the bag, so the liquid goes into the watermelon, making its color almost ruby.


Assembly

Take the octopus and place them in three piles on the left side of a coupe bowl. Break the plantain strip into three pieces, put them on top of the octopus, and garnish with four small piles of mustard seeds. Then spread pico over three stacks and four compressed watermelon balls and flowers. Finish the plate with citrus lace throughout the dish and leave the right side of the plate for negative space.

Wine Match 

Domaine Zind Humbrecht Gewürztraminer Alsace Grand Cru Rangen de Thann Clos Saint Urbain

"I have paired the octopus ceviche with an acidic and aromatic wine. Gewürtzraminer, a floral bouquet, and hints of spice add an extra level of depth to the wine and help to balance the acidity of the ceviche dressing."

~ Alfredo Hildebrandt, Assistant General Manager with a sophisticated flair for fine wines and spirits. 

Hole number 7 at Sycamore Hills Golf Club, Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA.
Jack Nicklaus Design \ Image by Jim Mandeville, courtesy Sycamore Hills Golf Club