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[All photographs by Nick Solares]
Ken Oringer and Jamie Bissonnette serve up a classic Galician style "pulpo" (octopus) at Toro that is deeply evocative of Spanish coastal cooking. The dish's relatively simple appearance — a single serpentine tentacle sits on a plate dotted with coins of fingerling potatoes, garnished with an onion relish — belies its complex flavors and the long and deliberate process of bringing it to the table. The onion relish is made several days ahead of time by charring red onions, ramps, green garlic, and scallions on the plancha. This mixture is seasoned with harissa, lemon, and, oregano, and it's blended with olives.
The octopus is cooked in its own juices for several hours creating a viscous stock spiked with garlic, bay leaves, and other aromatics. It is then allowed to cool and reabsorb much of the liquid, and then the remaining stock is used to poach the potatoes. Both the octopus and potatoes are held at temperature in an Alto-Shaam during service. They are then seared on the plancha until the Maillard reaction renders them crispy with a glorious bronze hue.
Watch Oringer and Bissonnette sear and season pulpo:
· All Coverage of Toro [~ENY~]