Allow 8 days freezing time for the octopus
Prep. time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: A bit more than an hour

I always use mineral water for cooking. If your water is too hard, it can alter the cooking process or the taste of the food. That is what happens in many regions of Spain, including Catalonia, where I live.

In our region, powdered almonds are used to thicken sauces.

1. Buy an octopus weighing between 2 and 3 kg (4-1/2 to 6-1/2 lb.) Clean it and place in the freezer for a week.
2. Let thaw slowly to obtain a finer texture: in this way you'll save yourself the long tedious job of pounding it.
3. In 4 litres (1 gallon) of water, bring the octopus, salt, oil, onion and fleur de sel to a boil; let boil for one hour.
4. Remove the octopus and let cool. Handling it carefully, cut it into rings.
5. Reserve the cooking liquid to prepare the accompanying jus.

Potatoes

1. Boil the potatoes in their skins until just tender; drain;
2. cut in half; cut into even slices.

Beans
Cook in salted water for 2 minutes; let cool. Cut in half lengthwise.

Mayonnaise

1. Mash the garlic with the egg yolk in a mortar to make a paste;
2. gradually whisk in the olive oil to prepare a classic mayonnaise.

Accompanying jus, thickened with almonds

1. Smoothly blend 80 g raw almonds into 1.6 litres (7 c.) of the octopus cooking liquid; keep cold until needed.
2. In a blender, blend 200 ml (3/4 c.) of this liquid; thicken it gently over the heat, and when the jus is very hot add a spoonful and a half of mayonnaise. Blend together carefully to obtain a very smooth sauce. Be careful not to let the mixture boil.

Arranging and serving the dish

1. Reheat the octopus pieces in the remaining cooking liquid;
2. On each plate, arrange 4 rounds of drained, seasoned octopus with a little oil and a touch of pepper;
3. in the centre, arrange a few slices of potatoes and a few beans, all very hot.
4. Garnish with almonds. Drizzle some sauce over top just before serving.