As I have stated many times before, one of my favorite things to do is sit on nice, sunny terrasses, sharing a few glasses of wine on a sunny afternoon along with some seafood, in good company. Mexico city has plenty of these kind of places, and the weather is usually mild and sunny and all around perfect for it. But this year we had about two weeks of this… the rest has been intermittently rainy (and don’t get me wrong, I do love rainy weather, but nothing spoils a good carpaccio like having it flooded) and sparingly cold.  So those sunny afternoons have been quite scarce… and so has been the time spent in the kitchen making ceviche or salads. But nevertheless, I’ll share with you this delicious recipe; an octopus and green tomato carpaccio, with a delicious avocado and spearmint purée. If you can’t have it outside, with a glass of rosé (as would be ideal) it’s still delicious, fresh, and light. A perfect hors d’oeuvre, or a good entrée. It’s an original dish, and the purple and green ingredients look striking together. And the best part, it takes about 15 minutes to have it ready! And you can keep it in the fridge if you make it ahead of time. Tempted? Read more for the recipe!

Octopus and green tomato carpaccio with avocado purée
(Own recipe)

1 package frozen octopus carpaccio
2 large green tomatoes (not too ripe and make sure they’re not hollow)
2 tbsps finely diced red onion
1 tsp very finely diced serrano pepper (no veins and no seeds)
3 tbsps lime juice
2 tbsps agave syrup
Olive oil

For the purée
1  1/2 avocados
2-3 tbsps finely chopped spearmint
1-2 tbsps lime juice
Olive oil
Freshly ground salt and pepper

Melba toast for serving

Directions:

Allow the carpaccio to defrost. Meanwhile, make the purée; place the avocado in a blender and purée until smooth. Add the lime juice (use 1-2 tbsps according to your preference) and a dash of olive oil, salt, pepper and spearmint. Purée again until just blended. Place in the center of a round platter.
Slice the green tomatoes as thin as you can (about 2-3 mm) using a knife, or if you prefer and have one available, a mandolin. Arrange on the platter in a circle around the avocado, alternating a slice of octopus with a slice of tomato. (use only the large middle slices, not the ends which will be too small). Sprinkle the red onion and serrano pepper over this. Drizzle generously with olive oil, lime juice and agave syrup. Season with freshly ground salt.
Serve with melba toast. (Smooth some avocado purée over the toast, then top with the octopus and green tomato)