Octopus with cebettes and old bread

4/10/25, 8:00 AM

Australian chef Luke Dolphin shares a simple recipe for cooking octopus, while making the most of slightly past-due bread to avoid wastage.

This recipe from Luke Dolphin, chef at Pluviôse restaurant in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, is taken from the special issue of Gault&Millau magazine, in which you can discover 109 chefs' recipes. These chefs have opened their establishments in the last 18 months and shared their favorite recipes with us. Discover the ingredients and preparation steps to make it easy.

Serves 8

Preparation time: 20 min

Cooking time: 50 min

Ingredients for Luke Dolphin octopus

1 fresh octopus, 1 to 1.2 kg

200 g dry slices sourdough bread

1 clove garlic

4 large spring onions

Red wine vinegar

Olive oil

Chili pepper (optional )

Sal t

Steps for Luke Dolphin octopus

Octopus: Clean the head and rinse the octopus in fresh water to make sure there's no sand. Place the octopus in a dry, room-temperature casserole dish with a lid and start heating slowly over medium to low heat. Cook the octopus for 30 min, covered, in its own natural juices. No additional salt is required. Remove the pot from the heat and let it cool completely to room temperature, still covered. Once cooled, remove the octopus from the pot, making sure to drain well and save the juices for later.

Breadcrumbs: Crush the bread with the garlic clove in a blender. Place in a frying pan with a little olive oil, season with salt and fry the breadcrumbs, stirring gently and frequently, until golden and crisp. Set aside.

Cébettes: Wash the cébettes and cut them in 2 to obtain 8 pieces. Place on a baking tray, brush lightly with olive oil and season with salt. Place in theovenat 160°C and roast until golden and tender.

Finishing: Cut the octopus into 8 pieces and fry gently in a large frying pan with olive oil. Remove from the oven and brush with the octopus juices and a dash of red wine vinegar.

Presentation: Place the cebettes on the bottom of a plate with the breadcrumbs, and place the octopus on top. Sprinkle with a little chilli pepper.

Has this recipe inspired you to discover Luke Dolphin's cuisine ? Read the Gault&Millau review of Pluviôse.

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