Oleana's Carrot & Fennel Saganaki

Saganaki refers to a number of different Greek dishes prepared in a sagani, a small frying pan. This one is an octopus-based entrée.

This is a complicated recipe, so we suggest you read the whole thing before you begin
 
Ingredients

For Octopus
1 small octopus
1/4 bottle white wine
2 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
1 carrot
2 ribs celery
1/2 onion
Fresh herb stems (optional: At Oleana, they use parsley, mint, and oregano stems)
12 pitted Kalamata olives
2 Tbs. olive oil

For Saganaki
1 onion
1 fennel
3 – 4 carrots (depending on size)
2 ribs celery
1 tsp. garlic, finely chopped
1 tomato
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbs. Greek spices (tarragon, mint, oregano)
1/4 cup pepperoncini, finely chopped
1 fresh lemon’s juice
2 oz. French goat feta cheese

For Serving
2 oz. French goat feta cheese
1 sprig fresh oregano
1 sprig fresh dill
1/4 cup fried walnuts
1 Tbs. garlic, fried
1/4 cup pita, toasted & crushed
1 tsp. olive oil

Directions

Prepare Octopus
Simmer octopus with white wine, garlic, spices, carrot, celery, onions, and fresh herbs stems for approximately 2 hours or until tender.

Skewer octopus pieces along with Kalamata olives. Drizzle with olive oil and grill until charred and crispy. (Be careful not to let olives overcook – they are good warm, but not burnt.)

Preparing Saganaki
Julienne onion, fennel, carrots, and celery. Finely chop garlic and tomato.
“Sweat” vegetables and tomatoes by sautéing in olive oil, so there is little to no color, but maximum cooking time. Start with onions, fennel, and garlic, then add carrots, celery, and tomato. Let simmer to cook down and combine flavors.

Add Greek spices, pepperoncini, and a few squeezes of fresh lemon.

Place saganaki in a small cast-iron pan. Sprinkle feta cheese on top and bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

Garnish and Serve
Place saganaki, still in hot cast-iron pan, on plate. Garnish with fresh feta, fresh herbs and mixture of fried walnuts, fried garlic, and toasted pita. Drizzle olive oil over the entire dish.

Push octopus and olives off skewer onto the saganaki. Finish off with another drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice over the top.

Serves: 4 to 6

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Cassie Kyriakides Piuma is the chef de cuisine at Oleana, a restaurant in Cambridge inspired by the flavors of the Mediterranean. She shared this recipe with us when she was featured as our guest on Neighborhood Kitchens.

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