Ingredients
Octopus
- 1 kgoctopus, cleaned
Sauce
- 400 mlthick coconut cream
- 1onion, sliced
- 2tomatoes, chopped
- 1thumb of ginger, sliced
- 2spring onions
- juice of 1 lime
- salt and black pepper
To serve
- taro
- breadfruit
- boiled cassava
Directions
- Tenderise the octopus by pounding it. On the reef this is done against a rock, and at home a heavy mallet works, going over every part of it for several minutes.
- Pounding is not optional. Octopus is dense muscle and untenderised it stays rubbery through any amount of cooking you care to give it.
- Alternatively freeze it and thaw it, which breaks the fibres down almost as effectively and takes no effort at all.
- Grill the whole octopus over hot coals for 8 to 10 minutes, turning it, until charred at the edges.
- Grill it before it goes anywhere near the coconut cream. That char is a flavour the simmering cannot produce and it is what makes this feke rather than stewed octopus.
- Cut it into thick pieces, keeping them large, because octopus shrinks considerably over the long simmer ahead.
- Warm the coconut cream in a pan with the onion, tomato and ginger and bring it just to a simmer.
- Never let coconut cream boil. It splits into oil and curds and cannot be brought back together.
- Add the octopus and simmer very gently for 30 to 40 minutes, until it yields easily to the point of a knife.
- Finish with lime juice, sliced spring onion, salt and pepper.
- Serve with taro, breadfruit or boiled cassava.
Technique
- Octopus is caught on the reef flats at low tide, which is why it is a shore dish rather than a deep-sea one.
- The lime at the end lifts what would otherwise be very rich. Do not leave it out.
- Thick coconut cream rather than thin milk. The dish depends on the fat.
Substitutions
- Squid, which needs far less cooking and no pounding.
- Tinned coconut cream, which is what most kitchens use.
Variations
- Cooked in an umu, the earth oven, wrapped in leaves.
- With chopped chilli through the sauce.
- With taro leaves added, in the manner of lu.
History
Octopus is caught on the reef flats at low tide, tenderised by pounding, then simmered in coconut cream.
Frequently asked questions
What is Feke?
Feke is a main from Tonga: grilled octopus simmered in rich coconut cream. Octopus is caught on the reef flats at low tide, tenderised by pounding, then simmered in coconut cream.
How long does Feke take to make?
Feke takes 30 min of preparation and 50 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Feke?
Yes, within limits. Squid, which needs far less cooking and no pounding. Tinned coconut cream, which is what most kitchens use.
What is the most important thing to get right in Feke?
Pounding is not optional. Octopus is dense muscle and untenderised it stays rubbery through any amount of cooking you care to give it.
