Smoked Octopus & Bean Salad

Another great recipe, inspired from the genius ¨The Magic of Tinned Fish¨ recipe book. This is a yummy and quick way of eating barbecued beans and octopus. Instead of cooking away for hours you can cut a massive corner by using smoked canned octopus with your favourite bbq sauce and use canned pinto beans instead of soaking the beans overnight. A comforting lunch that packs a smokey punch. 

Serves 2 

Ingredients:

1 tin of pinto beans

1 tin of smoked octopus

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

1/2 a red onion, finely sliced

2 tablespoons red wine or sherry vinegar

1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon of dried oregano

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 tablespoon chopped chives

1 tablespoon fresh orange juice

 Method

To make the bbq beans, combine the olive oil and garlic and cook over a medium heat for a minute or two. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in the oregano, Worcestershire sauce, barbecue sauce and remove from the heat.

Drain the beans of their liquid and add to the pan with barbecue sauce. As the beans cook the barbecue sauce will start to caremilize, so make sure you scrape the sides of the pan every now and then to get that delicious sauce back into the beans!

To prepare the charred octopus, in a bowl, combine the onion, orange juice and vinegar. Heat a cast-iron or a non stick pan, add the olive oil to the pan and when it just starts to smoke, add the octopus. Let it sit, undisturbed, in the pan for 45 seconds before the give the pan a shake. Cook for another 30 seconds. 

Remove the octopus from the pan with a slotted spoon, add it to the bowl with the onion mixture,stir to incorporarte and season with salt. 

Divide the barbecued beans between two bowls, top with even portions of the octopus sald, and pour any liquid left in the mixing bowl over the salad.

Enjoy!