Chris Macchia

 

Coco Pazzo

Location 300 W Hubbard Street Chicago, IL 60610

Reservations 312.836.0900

Web www.cocopazzochicago.com

 

Imaginative and youthful, Executive Chef Chris Macchia is passionate about Tuscan Italian cuisine and brings the Coco Pazzo menu to life with the finest local and organic ingredients the season has to offer. Born and raised in New York, Chef Chris’s creative flair was honed through his Culinary Institute of America (CIA) training and his notable experience at Gotham Bar and Grill, The Four Seasons, Maui and the Peninsula Hotel, Chicago. 

Elegant yet rustic, Coco Pazzo is committed to the straightforward Tuscan philosophy of ingredient-driven flavor and has been part of the River North neighborhood for over 16 years.

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Carpaccio di Polpo

 

Ingredients

2 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

1 onion, diced

5 sprigs fresh thyme

2 fresh bay leaves

1 large #8 octopus

1 gallon salted water

1 cup red wine

1 cup red wine vinegar

1 fresh lemon

extra virgin olive oil and sea salt

 

Method

1) Place the garlic, peppercorns, onion, thyme and bay leaves in cheesecloth and tie in a bundle. 2) In a large pot, cover the octopus with the salted water, adding the red wine, vinegar and the aromatic bundle. 3) Simmer for one hour or until octopus is tender. While the octopus is warm, remove and set aside tentacles. Split the head and remove the beak. 4) Using a large piece of plastic wrap, tightly roll together the tentacles and head to form a roll similar to carpaccio. 5) Freeze over night. The following day remove the plastic wrap and thinly slice the octopus. 6) Arrange on a platter and season.

 

To Serve

Before serving, top the octopus with a lightly dressed salad of frisee, new potatoes, blanched French green beans, pitted olives and grape tomatoes.