Octopus salad with lotus root and celery stalks

Ingredients

• 600 g ready‑to‑cook small octopus
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 bulb fennel
• 300 g frozen lotus root slices
• 1 piece ginger (approx. 3 cm)
• 1 chili pepper
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 3 tbsp Sesame oil
• 2 tbsp rice wine
• light soy sauce

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash the octopus and pat dry. Wash, trim, cut the celery into about 5 cm pieces and then slice or julienne them. Cut the fennel in half, remove the core, and slice the white part and green into thin strips. Thaw the lotus root slices. Peel and grate the ginger. Wash, trim, and slice the chili pepper into rings.

2. 2.

   Sauté the octopus together with the celery and fennel in hot oil for 2–3 minutes while stirring. Add the ginger, lotus root, and chili, then cook for another ~2 minutes. Pour in the rice wine, a splash of soy sauce, and if needed a little water. Finish with vanilla essence and simmer gently for 4–5 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest for about 15 minutes. Finally season with soy sauce and serve warm.