Baby Octopus Stir-Fry with Peppers and Turnip Greens

 

Ingredients:

1 pound baby octopus*

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 spring onions, coarsely chopped

1 tsp. salt

2 orange peppers, seeds removed, thinly sliced into strips

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup sake

1 large bunch turnip greens, washed and coarsely chopped

To Make:

Begin by heating the sesame oil on medium heat in a large saucepan or wok.  Add the ginger, garlic, onions, and salt, and stir constantly for three minutes, until they begin to sizzle.  Add the baby octopus, peppers, vinegar, and sake, and stir well.  Cover and let simmer, reducing heat to low, for 25 minutes.  Remove cover and add the turnip greens, mixing them into the stir fry very thoroughly, and let simmer for about four minutes more, until the greens are just slightly wilted.  Remove the saucepan (or wok) from the heat, and let cool for five minutes before serving.

Serve this dish on a bed of ramen or soba, with steamed broccoli drizzled with mirin as a side dish. 

*Baby octopus can be found at many Asian markets; it is a popular dish in countries such as Japan and South Korea.  It is often sold frozen, in which case it should be allowed to defrost to room temperature before you begin the stir fry.