Seared octopus with chermoula and white corn polenta

Char the sun-dried tomatoes until blistered, for caramelization and depth of flavor.

Cook the oregano, fennel seeds and coriander in a pan to liven them up and activate their essential oils.

Add Calabrian chilies, sweet smoked paprika and a little homemade harissa.

Put the ginger-garlic-shallot mix in the food processor; zest a lemon and add its juice, holding the lemon upside down so the seeds stay on top.

Add the charred tomatoes and blend everything until combined; add a little olive oil and white balsamic vinegar and blend to a smooth paste.

For the polenta, cook the ginger-garlic-shallot mix in oil with no color, just to translucency, so the oil takes on the flavor.

Add dried ginger, onion powder, garlic powder and black pepper to the oil, then the chicken stock and coconut milk; bring to a boil.

Take octopus tentacles poached ahead in red wine and water (simmered two hours) and clean them up so the tentacles stay on and crisp.

Slowly add the white corn polenta to the boiling liquid, drop to a simmer and stir occasionally so nothing burns on the bottom, until smooth and creamy; it thickens after five to six minutes.

Sear the octopus in a little olive oil without salt until caramelized and the suckers are crispy, with color on both sides.

Add some chermoula paste to the pan and spread it so it coats the octopus.

Cut the octopus in two; plate on the creamy polenta topped with garlic scape pesto, pickled pepperoncini and cheese.