Eating is an adventure when you abandon expectations.
Separating one's head from one's body opens the door to possibilities.
But even when the eyes say one thing and the brain another, the palate doesn't lie.
I give you an innocuous plate of black olives.
Eat it if you enjoy seafood (of the tentacled kind).
And a sense of humor.
octopus olives
Separate the heads from the bodies of baby octopuses. Use the bodies for another preparation (grill, fry, braise, or just to gross out the kids). Place heads in pan with mirepoix (onions, carrots, celery), shallots, bay leaf, thyme, a strip of orange zest, salt, pepper, and enough water to cover completely. Add about 1 teaspoon of squid ink per cup of water and stir well. Simmer, covered, for one hour or until tender. Remove octopi heads with slotted spoon and set aside. Strain cooking broth and return to pan, discard solids. Reduce broth to about 2 Tablespoons. Return octopi to pan and toss to coat in reduced sauce. Cool completely. Scrape out contents of pan into a jar. Add enough brine from prepared olives to completely cover octopi heads. Cover tightly, shake gently, and refrigerate for 24 hours, shaking gently a few times to distribute the ink, which has a tendency to settle to the bottom
Serve with a drizzle of fruity virgin olive oil, a sprinkle of coarse sea salt, fresh herbs, crusty bread, a glass of sherry or lusty wine, and a smile.
Playing with Fire and Water 
this reminds me of a faux morels concept = cooking tripe in squid ink
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nice one!
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Err, confused! Surely those are the bodies there, with the heads (tentacles etc) missing?
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yep, thats right… heads only.
they shrink to the size of olives when they’re cooked.
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i’ve been reading the archives of your blog with a near-religious fervour for the past three days. this is certainly the best food blog i’ve ever come across. although i lack the funds, skill and patience to attempt most of the creations you’ve detailed here, i live vicariously through you, and someday … someday it will happen.
after all that flattery, maybe you won’t mind some pedantry from a language nerd; “octopi” is, despite all the supercilious correction to the contrary, not the proper english plural of “octopus” — nor, in fact, is it any plural. “octopus” is a word that derives from greek, not latin, and the plural in that language is “octopodes”. but really, there’s no reason to use that: we speak english, not greek, and therefore the most efficient and harmonious plural is in fact “octopuses”. see here: http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=octopus&searchmode=none
spelling and grammar correction is always a gamble online, so i hope you understand that i mean this only in the spirit of sharing something i find interesting, not attempting to exercise superiority over someone else! (as though happening to remember a factoid about greek results in superiority.)
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I don’t mind at all. Thank you for the clarification!
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This is what I get for skipping off to attend meetings in Europe. Nice one Chef! Cthulhu lives.
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Really neat! Before reading the post I assumed that the head are actually stuffed with something. They just stay plump with no stuffing whatsoever??
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Very clever Linda…I’m trying out your beetroot in sugarcrust very soon!
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