Octopus Panini with Olive Tapenade and Guanciale

Name: Octopus Panini with Olive Tapenade and Guanciale
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 230 min
Total time: 4 h 10 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 4 Italian buns; 1 (about 1 3/4 pounds) octopus; to taste salt and black peppercorns; 1 bay leaf; as needed Zucchi Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil; to taste cherry tomatoes; to taste arugula; 1/4 pound guanciale, sliced; 8 ounces taggiasca or kalamata olives, pitted; 1/2 garlic clove; 1/2 cup Zucchi Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil; to taste salt; to taste black pepper

Love panini? Here's a delicious seafood panini with an amazing flavor, easy to make using the olive oil poaching method.

COOK TIME	2 hours and 30 minutes
PREP TIME	20

SKILL LEVEL	Easy
SERVES	4

We recommend…

ORGANIC 100% EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

With its mild intensity and notes of ripe fruit, our organic extra virgin olive oil is perfect for baking and light dishes like this one.

INGREDIENTS

4 / Italian buns
1 (about 1 3/4 pounds) / octopus
to taste / salt and black peppercorns
1 / bay leaf
as needed / Zucchi Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
to taste / cherry tomatoes
to taste / arugula
1/4 pound / guanciale, sliced

Olive Tapenade

8 ounces / taggiasca or kalamata olives, pitted
1/2 / garlic clove
1/2 cup / Zucchi Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
to taste / salt
to taste / black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

To poach the octopus:

Prepare the octopus in oil at least half a day ahead. Wash the octopus under running water, gut it, and remove the beak. Cut it up, leaving the tentacles intact. Place it in an oven-proof, airtight jar with a bay leaf, a clove of garlic, and a few peppercorns. Cover thoroughly with Zucchi Organic 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil, close the lid and place it in the oven preheated to 270°F then cook for 2 hours and 30 minutes. Turn off the oven and wait for the jar to cool, leaving the octopus in its oil.

To make the olive tapenade:

Rinse the brine off the olives, peel half a clove of garlic and blend these two ingredients in a blender or food processor. Drizzle in about half a cup of Zucchi Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil while blending, until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste and transfer to a bowl.

To cook the guanciale:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Cut the “guanciale” into strips and place it in an oven tray lined with parchment paper. Bake for a few minutes to make crispy wafers. Put the buns in the oven with the “guanciale” just until warm and slightly toasted.

To assemble the panini:

Cut the buns in half and spread the inside with a spoonful of olive tapenade. Place a few leaves of arugula, a couple of octopus tentacles, a few cherry tomatoes, and crispy “guanciale” wafers on top. Put the top bun on and serve immediately.