Timothy Smith, Executive Chef, Hideaway Beach Club
Timothy Smith, Executive Chef of Hideaway Beach Club (Marco Island, Fla.), says his Red Wine-Braised Octopus With White Bean and Serrano Chorizo Ragout & Spring Pea Emulsion was born from a desire to put his own spin on a similar dish.
“Both Italy and Spain have been known to feature octopus paired with a ragout of white beans,” he notes. “As chefs, we are never really inventing, but rather giving our take on something that we have seen or tasted elsewhere.”
What makes his recipe stand out, he says, is how “the braise—with the red wine, tomatoes, fennel and garlic—not only makes the octopus tender, but also imparts a ton of flavor, while the low-braising temperature allows the skin to stay in tact, so when it’s finished on the grill, it gets a great texture.”
Ultimately, he says, he’s most proud of how he was able to take cost-effective ingredients and turn them into a dish that “hits all the senses at once.”
“From the saltiness of the serrano chorizo,” he says, “the creamy, fresh flavors and textures of the pea purée, and the beans, they pick up a bit of all of the flavors.”
Red Wine-Braised Octopus
Click here for the full recipe.
