Chef Saito's Kaiseki-style rice dish takes on a delicate pink hue from the octopus, resembling cherry blossoms. Its elegant appearance evokes the arrival of spring. 1. Cut the octopus into 5mm slices.

After pre-cooking, grill or stew the octopus until tender. Rice with octopus is a popular fried dish from Portugal, or try stewing it in Elizabeth David's Genoese fish stew or burrida.

Add the garlic and sauté until light brown, taking care not to burn. Using tongs, carefully add the octopus and red-pepper flakes (make sure the octopus is dry or it will splatter in the oil ...