Tako No Kara Age (Fried Octopus with Butternut Pumpkin)

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp potato starch
• 400 g boiled octopus
• 200 g butternut pumpkin
• 500 ml Canola oil for frying
• 1 spring onion (sliced)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 lime
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sake
• 1 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbsp grated ginger

Steps

1. Boil the octopus until nearly tender.
2. Cut the octopus body into 3 cm pieces and the tentacles into 5 cm lengths.
3. Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl, add the octopus and leave to marinate for 15 – 20 minutes.
4. Place the octopus and potato starch in a plastic bag, then close the bag and shake to coat all the octopus pieces.
5. Peel the butternut pumpkin, remove the seed and cut into slices.
6. Pour a 4 cm depth of oil in a frying pan and heat to about 170ºC. Start by frying the pumpkin until tender. Once the pieces of pumpkin are cooked, drain them on paper towels.
7. Next, fry the octopus until golden and crisp.
8. Serve the pumpkin and octopus sprinkled with spring onion, salt and lime on the side.
9. Enjoy….