Smoked Bocconcini with Nduja & Pickled Octopus

A left of centre flavour combination that really packs a punch! Smoked Bocconcini, tangy pickled octopus and spicy nduja, the cheese & seafood combo you didn't know you needed.

Ingredients

For cooking the octopus:

1 kg octopus, cleaned
2 bay leaves
4–5 black peppercorns
½ cup white wine (optional)
1 garlic clove, smashed

For pickling:

¾ cup white wine vinegar (or red wine vinegar for a deeper colour)
½ cup olive oil
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 small chilli (optional), sliced
1 tsp dried oregano
2 sprigs fresh thyme or rosemary (optional)
½ tsp salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
Juice of ½ lemon
Extra olive oil to top up jar, if needed

Instructions

Step 1

Place the octopus in a large pot with bay leaves, peppercorns, garlic, and wine. Cover with water, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook for 45–60 minutes or until tender (a knife should slide in easily).

Step 2

Once cooked, drain and cool slightly. Cut the tentacles into bite-size pieces, removing any beak or hard bits.

Step 3

In a bowl, combine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, onion, garlic, chilli (if using), herbs, salt, and pepper.

Step 4

Pack the octopus pieces into a sterilised jar. Pour over the pickling mix, ensuring the octopus is completely submerged. Top up with more olive oil if needed.

Step 5

Seal and refrigerate for at least 24 hours (48–72 hours for best flavour).

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