Poach

I order octopus every time I go to Babbo and have done so since long before I partnered with Mario and Joe, so when Mozza came about I knew I wanted to include an octopus dish on the Osteria menu. Most people’s experience of octopus is eating it raw at sushi bars, and we all know how chewy it can be, but, like Mario’s version at Babbo that I love so much, ours is tender and not at all rubbery. That tenderness doesn’t come without considerable effort, but as much effort as it is, the finished dish is certainly worth it. It’s our most popular non-mozzarella antipasto. In Italy people do all kinds of things to tenderize fresh octopus. They pound it with a meat pounder, they hit it with hammers, they throw it against rocks. Matt’s solution is to start with frozen octopus; freezing helps break down the octopus’s flesh the same way that pounding it does. He then sears the octopus, poaches it in olive oil, marinates it, and, lastly, chars it in a wood-fired grill. The wine cork in the recipe is something we do on Mario’s orders. He claims that in Italy they say the wine cork tenderizes the octopus. I think it must be an old wives’ tale, but it doesn’t hurt to throw it in there, so we do. Note: This recipe requires a huge sacrifice of oil. You can keep the oil and reuse it once to make the octopus again within a week.

Keep the apricots submerged in the poaching liquid, or they will turn brown. Mixed with seltzer water, the poaching liquid makes a refreshing apricot fizz.

These pears may be refrigerated in their cooking liquid overnight.

This main dish is delicious served with boiled potatoes or rice.

This recipe yields excess chicken stock. The excess can be kept in plastic containers and frozen for several months.

To keep watercress fresh, wrap it in damp paper towels and place it in a resealable plastic bag. Stored this way, it can be refrigerated for up to 4 days. Just before making the salad, “crisp” the watercress by soaking it in a bowl of ice water for a few minutes, then gently pat dry.

The scallops and vegetables can be poached and refrigerated up to 1 day ahead. Avoid using an oaky Chardonnay, which may add bitterness.