Octopus, hutspot and mojo sauce with pickled onion and fennel
During our Atlantic crossing, we had to find shelter due to a storm coming our way.
The captain decided to find refuge in Santa Cruz, the capital of Tenerife. As a result of this detour, the inspiration for this recipe emerged.
I love octopus. Unfortunately, they are not native to Dutch waters so you rarely see them on the menus in Holland. In Tenerife it’s a whole different story. Freshly caught specimens are plentiful and available at any market. Many restaurants serve them, ranging from very traditional tapa style dishes to more modern varieties in the upscale restaurants. As soon as I got the chance, I went to a local market to find one. The result was a delicious octopus dish for the crew, that I will share with you in this blog post.
My inspiration came from a dish I ate at
Tasca El Callejón in Santa Cruz.
The chef Alexandro made a delicious dish with octopus, butternut squash, zucchini slaw and mojo sauce. My version is slightly different. Spanish/Tenerife style octopus combined with my Dutch heritage and love for South-East Asia. My side dish is the typical Dutch comfort food “Hutspot”. Mostly eaten in winter, combined with a smoked sausage. The basic ingredients for “Hutspot” are carrots, onions and potatoes. My mother added bay leaves, cloves and mustard. In my recipe I replaced these for ginger, lemongrass and kaffir lime to give it a South-East Asian flair. The pickles are very straightforward but delicious.
It sounds a bit strange but the result is a mouth-watering, succulent and flavorful dish. My crew loved it and already requested me to cook this recipe again! Let me know how you like it in the comment section below or drop me a line on Facebook!