Baby Octopus and Squid With Baby Bok Choy - Salad

Diann is Cooking's Note:

Baby bok choy comes in a variety of sizes, so the amount you use will really depend on what is available. Serving size will depend on whether you make this as a side or main dish. Red pepper sauce: go towards flavorful rather than simply merely HOT. Rice vinegar is NOT sushi vinegar, the latter has sugar. As with most of my recipes, ingredient quantities are approximate. I can see adding drained capers and/or toasted pine nuts at the end in a future rendition of this... Prep time includes marinating time.

• Total Time: 5 hrs 21 mins
• Prep Time: 5 hrs
• Cook Time: 21 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 3

• 1 lb baby octopus
• 1/2 lb squid, cleaned
• 1/4 cup wine, dry white
• 2 -3 ounces shiitake mushrooms
• water, to cover
• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced
• Italian spices
• red pepper sauce
• ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon japanese rice seasoning (nori komi furikake) (optional)
• 1/8 ounce wakame seaweed (optional)
• 2 -4 baby bok choy
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. boil and then simmer the octopus and the de-stemmed shitakes in the mixture of water and wine for 15-20 minutes, or until the octopus is tender.
2. Add the squid, and do a high simmer for no more than one minute. Do NOT overcook! Gets tough and nasty.
3. Drain into colander and run cold water over the octopods and shrooms in the colander to stop the cooking process.
4. Cut the octopus and the squid into smaller bite size pieces. Leave the shitake mushroom caps whole unless they are truly enormous.
5. Place drained items into a bowl, then add everything else except bok choy and shallot.
6. Marinate at least 4 hours, or overnight.
7. Immediately before serving, layer out your leaves of bok choy, along with the shallot. Drain the seafood marinate of excess liquid, then ladle this atop the bok choy/shallot layer.
8. Alternatively, chop the bok choy and shallot into smaller pieces, and put the drained seafood mixture in the same serving dish, and toss.