Charred Octopus Tostada on a white plate

Octopus Tostada with Salsa Macha

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Chef Mikel Anthony shared his recipe Octopus Tostadas with California Prune Salsa Macha. Are you brave enough to try making it at home?

Tostada topped with Octopus, cilantro and Salsa Macha with prunes

Cooking an octopus?? You’ve got this…

Have you ever tasted an Octopus Tostada? One bite and you’ll fall in love with the fabulous flavors. The only problem – the idea of cooking a whole octopus can be a little intimidating. Chef Mikel Anthony shares his simple method, so you can try making this at unique dish at home.

What is Salsa Macha

Salsa Macha is more like a chile oil than the typical salsas that you’ll find at most Mexican food restaurants. It’s made using dried chiles, nuts and oils. Chef Mikel Anthony added prunes to his salsa, which helps to temper the heat of the chiles and also adds gorgeous depth of flavor to this salsa.

Charred Octopus Tostada on a white plate

Octopus Tostada

Chef Mikel Anthony
This fun and creative but unexpected pairing is sure to wow your taste buds! This Octopus Tostada with California Prune Salsa Macha was created by Chef
.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes
1 day 10 hours
Total Time 1 day 11 hours 40 minutes
Course Appetizer, Dinner, Entree, Lunch
Cuisine Chef Created
Servings 8
Calories 747 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

For the Salsa Macha with California Prunes

  • 2 ounces dried chiles (one or more of the following: arbol chiltepin,pequin, serrano seco, chipotle, morita, puya, guajillo, ancho, mulato, pasilla –
  • 1 1/2 ounces 1/3 cup nuts (one or more of the following: almonds, peanuts, pecan pieces)
  • 1 TBSP sesame seeds
  • 4 garlic cloves peeled and halved
  • 2 cups olive oil
  • 1 TBSP vinegar cider vinegar works well here
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp dried herbs one or more of the following: Mexican oregano, marjoram, or thyme
  • ¼ cup California Prunes

For the Octopus

  • 2-3 lb Octopus
  • 1-2 Oranges sliced lengthwise
  • 1-2 Lemons sliced lengthwise
  • 1 Onion sliced lengthwise
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • Salt & Pepper to taste

For the Tostada

  • 8 Tostadas (fried corn tortillas)
  • Avocado crema for topping

Instructions
 

For the salsa

  • Stem the chiles, then break or cut them open and scrape/brush/let fall out most of the seeds; cut into 1/4-inch (6mm) pieces. (Simply use chiltepin or pequin whole.)
  • In a large (4-quart) saucepan, combine the nuts, sesame seeds, garlic, and oil. Set over medium-high heat and cook until garlic and sesame seeds are golden about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the chiles. Let cool for 5 minutes.
  • In a small bowl, mix the vinegar with the salt until the salt dissolves, then add it to the pan along with the herbs. When the mixture has cooled to room temperature, pour it into a blender or food processor and pulse until everything is chopped into small pieces. Run the processor for a few seconds until everything is finely chopped—but not pureed. Add in 1/4 c (45 g) of chopped prunes. Mix. Pour into a jar and store in the refrigerator until you're ready to use.

For the octopus

  • Place orange, lemon, onion, bay leaves, salt, and pepper into a pot filled with water. Bring to boil.
  • Cut off the head of the octopus and remove the beak (or ask your fishmonger to remove the beak before wrapping up your fish)!
  • Place octopus head in the pot, boil until tender (approximately 40 minutes). Check with a knife to be sure the octopus is tender, use a strainer or slotted spoon to remove the head. Reserve cooking liquid.
  • Bring cooking liquid to a rolling boil. Dip tentacles into the water for about 2-3 seconds and lift out. Do this 2-3 times to help shock tentacles for color and curl. Cover your pot and boil until the tentacles are tender, about 45-60 minutes. Cut through one of the largest tentacles to ensure that it's fully cooked.

To Assemble

  • Slice Octopus tentacles into bite sized chunks.
  • Spread a thin layer of avocado crema onto a tostada.
  • Add a generous amount of chopped octopus tentacles on top of the crema.
  • Drizzle with Prune Salsa Macha.
  • Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Chef Mikel Anthony loves California Prunes! Try his recipe for Whole Fried Snapper with Prune XO Sauce!

Nutrition

Calories: 747kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 21gFat: 63gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gMonounsaturated Fat: 43gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 670mgPotassium: 724mgFiber: 5gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 2136IUVitamin C: 25mgCalcium: 103mgIron: 8mg
Keyword mikel anthony, octopus, salsa macha, tostada
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