Grilled sardines with charred octopus and egg free garlic aioli flatbreads

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Add the yeast to the lukewarm water and whisk to combine. Set aside for a few minutes. 

Meanwhile, place the flour in a mixing bowl and make a well. Add the yeast and water, a little at a time, and combine with your fingers. Briefly knead until the dough becomes smooth. Place in an oiled bowl, cover with a clean tea towel and place in a warm place for30 minutes to allow the dough to rise. 

When the dough has risen, divide it into 4 or 5 balls and roll out on a floured surface. Rub with olive oil, scatter with sea salt and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden and crisp, or place on a hot grid over smouldering coals before cooking the seafood. 

To prepare the octopus, remove the head so you are left with the tentacles. Boil the tentacles in a large saucepan of salted water for 1 hour. Drain and carefully rub the flesh with your fingers to remove the skin. 

Rub the octopus and sardines in olive oil and chargrill on a hot grid over smouldering coals for a few minutes on each side. 

Serve the hot octopus and sardines on flatbreads with a good spoon of aïoli. Seasonwith sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. 

To make the aïoli, mash the garlic using a pestle and mortar to form a paste. Add the olive oil in a thin, steady stream, stirring in the same direction until a thick mayonnaise forms. Add a good squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt to taste.

Cook’s note: When boiling the octopus, add a wine cork to the water. The enzymes in the cork will help tenderise the octopus.