Tender first. Then a little char.

The octopus cooks gently with bay and lemon before it goes anywhere near the grill. Follow the full recipe and judge its tenderness at that stage; the final grilling is not a substitute for it.

After the octopus has cooled slightly in its cooking liquid, cut it into serving pieces. Brush with olive oil and season. The brief, hot grill adds lightly charred edges and a contrast to the tender interior.

Serve over the warm yellow split-pea purée, with capers, red onion, parsley, lemon, and olive oil. The smooth purée gives those crisp edges somewhere to land.

Give tenderness its own cooking stage. Use the grill for the final texture.

Adapted from the method and chef’s note accompanying the linked In The Dish recipe. Image digitally styled from original photography.