The Secret Behind St. Cecilia's Charred Octopus

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

We're celebrating 1 year of Be The Chef with the dish that started it all: Chef Craig Richard's Charred Octopus from St. Cecilia. Chef Craig & his team are preparing the octopus in the beautiful kitchen at St. Cecilia so you can simply char and enjoy! But what goes into preparing this iconic cephalopod? We got this email from G&G home chef, David, that spurred us to investigate:

"That octopus is one of my favorite things in Atlanta. What would be the odds that chef Craig would let me know how he prepares it... I doubled up on it for next week!" - David

Lucky for us (and David) Chef Craig is one of the nicest folks in Atlanta and was more than happy to share his "top secret" recipe:

"It's simmered in a red wine with oranges and spices." 

Last year when we worked with St. C, Chef Craig used a method called sous vide, where food is sealed in an airtight plastic bag then placed in a water bath for a slow-cooked approach. Since then he's found that it's even better simply simmered in the poaching liquid. 

Chef Craigs Octopus Spice Blend:

Star Anise

Thyme

Bay Leaf

Peppercorns

Ready to try your hand at Chef Craig's Charred Octopus? Order by Wednesday May 13th at midnight!