Name: Octopus and apple salad
Total time: 35 min

What is Chef Andrea doing in a typical 1640 Trentino farmhouse? Quite simply, he has taken inspiration from the nature and poetry of the landscapes at 600 metres above sea level, perfect for fruit growing, to prepare a classic Mediterranean recipe like octopus salad. A main course we all know which becomes even more special thanks to a simple yet highly valuable ingredient: apple. In this case Chef Andrea has chosen the Granny Smith, a crunchy and juicy apple that complements and helps balance out all the ingredients of the salad. It is incredible the way the octopus, a typical seafood ingredient, marries perfectly with the undeniably earthy asparagus. An original and innovative octopus salad which showcases, in a clean and genuine way, some of the typical ingredients of our land.

Preparation

Cut the onion into rounds and pickle in vinegar for 30 minutes.
Peel the potato and cut into small cubes, then cook in salted water.
Peel the asparagus, separate the stalks from the tips, cut the tips in half and the stalks into rounds.

Firstly boil the diced potato in salted water for 5-7 minutes: its texture should remain firm.
Next, boil the peeled asparagus stalks in salted water for about 5 minutes: they should also remain nice and firm.
Drain and cool in ice water to preserve their vibrant colour.

Heat the grill until it is red hot, lightly oil it and sear the octopus tentacles to create a nice outer crust.
Remove the tentacles from the grill and leave to cool.
Cook the asparagus tips, cut in half lengthwise, on the grill for 1 minute.
Peel the celery and finely dice.
Finely dice the apple and place in water and lemon to prevent it from oxidising.

Combine the oil, vinegar, mustard seeds, honey, salt and pepper, and beat with a fork to create an emulsion.

Assemble the salad by combining all the ingredients and finish off by dressing with the vinaigrette.
Plate up and enjoy.