Name: Pickled mussels and octopus with XO aïoli
Total time: 25 min
Yield: Serves 4 as a starter
Ingredients: 20 mussels cleaned; 100ml white wine vinegar; 50g caster sugar; 150g octopus cleaned; ¼ a bunch chives finely chopped; ¼ a bunch dill finely chopped; 2 small turnips thinly sliced; 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 egg yolks; 1 tbsp white wine vinegar; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 1 tbsp Dijon mustard; 1 clove garlic crushed; 130ml grapeseed oil; 130ml olive oil; 40g XO sauce

20 mussels
cleaned
100ml white wine vinegar
50g caster sugar
150g octopus
cleaned
¼ a bunch chives
finely chopped
¼ a bunch dill
finely chopped
2 small turnips
thinly sliced
2 tbsp olive oil

XO AÏOLI

2 egg yolks
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic
crushed
130ml grapeseed oil
130ml olive oil
40g XO sauce

Method

step 1
Wash the mussels, then steam until just opened. Tip into a bowl to collect the juices. Heat 150ml of water in a pan with the vinegar and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Leave to cool a little until just warm, then pour over the mussels and chill. (Eat the mussels on the day of pickling, if you can. They do keep, but the pickle will continue to firm the mussels up over time.)
step 2
Fry or chargrill the octopus over a medium heat for 3 minutes or until just cooked, then slice thinly. In a bowl, combine the octopus, mussels, herbs, turnips and olive oil, then mix.
step 3
To make the aïoli, put the egg yolks, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard and garlic in a blender. Blend until smooth then, with the blender running on low, pour in the two oils in very thin streams, allowing the aïoli to emulsify. Mix in the XO sauce and check for seasoning. Spoon some aïoli into the base of a large bowl. Top with the pickled seafood and herbs.