Spanish Octopus With Chorizo, Fingerling Potatoes and Salsa Verde

• Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with 1 inch of water. Add 1 tablespoon salt, leaves from 2 springs of rosemary, leaves from 3 sprigs of thyme and 4 cloves of sliced garlic. Simmer the potatoes until tender, approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Drain and cool.

• Slice the potatoes into 1/8-inch slices. Toss lightly with olive oil and reserve.

• While the potatoes are cooking, make the salsa verde: Prepare the tarragon, parsley, cilantro and basil by blanching them in a pot of salted boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes, then plunging them into an ice bath until chilled. Squeeze the water from the herbs by wrapping them in a towel.

• Place the herbs in a blender or food processor. With the motor running, add ¼ cup olive oil in a steady stream and process until the mixture becomes a smooth paste.

• Strain the paste through a chinois or fine-mesh strainer over a bowl, using a spatula to extract as much of the herb liquid as possible. Add extra olive oil to the mixture if necessary. The yield will be small, but concentrated in flavor.

• Add kosher salt to taste, lemon juice, minced capers and the cumin-coriander powder and mix well. Reserve.

• Coat a sauté pan with olive oil and add the remaining rosemary, thyme and garlic. Heat the pan until hot, add the octopus and sauté until the octopus begins to brown.

• Add the chorizo and sauté another minute until chorizo is warmed through. Set aside.

• To serve, drizzle a bit of salsa verde on each plate.

• In a bowl, combine the potatoes and the octopus mixture. Add a small amount of olive oil and toss to coat. Divide the mixture between the plates.

• Drizzle each serving with the remaining salsa verde.

• Garnish with a few small cilantro leaves and finish with a few flakes of Maldon salt.

This article appears in Sep 1-30, 2010.