Grilled Octopus

Like most kids, I had an aversion to seafood (other than fish sticks) and there was no way I would put that thing in my mouth (octopus).

However, during a family trip to Greece in 1980 I was the "tag-along" with my favourite uncle treating my dad and other uncles to an array of Greek seafood mezedes and ouzo. Plates up on plates of small samplings of different dips, an array of seafood and lots of ouzo would ply us through the evening and ever-fueling that Greek bravado.

To this day, I recall that hot Greek early evening as we ate & drank the night away, talked of the good life and my baptism by fire into seafood and succulent grilled octopus.

To assure one of having a tender (not tough or rubbery) octopus is to simmer the cephalapod or in a more time-saving fashion...using the pressure cooker.

Grilled Octopus

• 1 whole octopus, ink sac and beak removed
• 1 wine cork
  

For the octopus

1. Place your octopus in a pot with 1 wine cork and cover. Turn the heat to high for 30 minutes. (The octopus will release it's own braising liquid)
   
2. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to simmer for another hour.
   
3. You'll be left with a fork tender octopus and some octopus stock. Cut your octopus into eighths and use as desired.
   

Marinade

• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 Tbsp of dried Greek oregano

1. Combine the marinade ingredients in a bowl and toss the Octopi. Pre-heat your BBQ.
   
2. On a preheated BBQ (high heat), grill your octopi for 3 minutes per side.
3. Squeeze lemon juice, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle dried Greek oregano
   

Avgolemono Sauce

In Greek: αβγολέμονο, pronounced ahv-ghoh-LEH-moh-no

This creamy sauce has a lemony taste that works wonderfully with most vegetable dishes - casserole and steamed - and is a favourite with stuffed cabbage. Use it to give a special touch to leftovers containing ground meat, rice, or vegetables where the lemon taste will blend.

Avgolemono Sauce

1 cup of hot stock, ladled from the roasted courgettes, dolmades or cabbage rolls or any other stock
2 eggs
juice of 1 lemon
2 heaping Tbsp of flour
2 tbsp of butter
Vegeta seasoning to taste

1. Using a whisk, mixer or hand blender, whip up your eggs and lemon juice and reserve.
2. In a sauce pan, melt your butter on medium heat and add your flour, constantly stirring. Your aim is for a light-brown roux. When this colour is achieved, add your stock to the sauce pan and stir for a few minutes to mix and thicken. Take the sauce pan off the heat. Whip up your white sauce and set aside.
3. Re-whip your egg-lemon mixture and here's the tricky part. Put your sauce pan back on the element (low heat) and take 1 ladle of egg lemon sauce and s-l-o-w-l-y pour it into your white sauce and simultaneously stir. Continue to slowly add remainder of egg-lemon to white sauce.
4. Take off the heat, adjust for seasoning and pour half of your Avgolemeno into your casserole and pour the rest in a gravy boat for serving extra sauce at the table.
   

Chick-Pea (Garbanzo) Salad

I cannot say that I'm crazy about chick peas but I tried this recipe out when I bought Jacques Pepin's The Short-Cut Cook and I tried it out of curiousity as I had some leftover coriander from another recipe.

The flavour is remarkably tasty, a little zest and creamy. It's best served the next day. If you're not crazy about coriander, this side will change your mind. I offer it with a summer BBQ with chicken & ribs and you soon will too!

1 can (16 oz) chick-peas, drained & rinsed
3 tbsp hot red salsa
3 tbsp mayonnaise
3 green onions, cleaned & minced fine
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/4 coarsely chopped coriander
1/4 tsp salt

1. Mix all the ingredients together and served at room temperature.
   

Grilled Shrimp on a Bed of Spaghetti in Brown Butter

It's summer time and one should be outdoors as much as possible. To help me stay outdoors I try & stick to simpler, quicker dishes but that doesn't mean I'm sacrificing taste nor will I be eating a Jetsons food pill as a meal replacement!

Last night I was stuck with thinking what to make and once again I opened the fridge to try & come up with something quickly.

I found some leftover arugula and that was going to solve my starch craving by having it tossed in spaghetti and brown butter sauce.

I then went to the freezer and found some nice shrimp that begged to be thawed and grilled.

My dinner is now planned.

Grilled Orange-Chipotle Shrimp on a bed of Spaghetti & Brown Butter Sauce (for 2)

• 12 medium-sized shrimp, deveined & shelled
  
• 1/2 fresh squeezed orange juice
• 2 tsbp chipotle sauce
• 4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 stick of butter
• salt
• cracked black pepper
• Parmesan cheese
• 1 bunch of arugula, coarse chop & stems removed

1. Bring your pot of water to a boil. Salt generously when boiling and add your pasta.
2. In a saucepan on low heat, add your butter and allow it to slowly bubble, simmer and gently turn a light brown. Then add your garlic, take off the heat and reserve.
3. Mix your orange juice with the chipotle sauce. Divide the mixture in half. Add the shrimp to one 1 half and allow them to marinate for no more than 15 minutes. Reserve the other half of marinate for brushing shrimp at the end.
4. Grill your shrimp on high heat, for 2-3 minutes/side or until pink. Take off the grill and brush them generously with your orange-chipotle sauce.
5. When your pasta is done, strain it and add it to your brown butter sauce. Place the pan back on the residual heat of the turned-off element and toss in the arugula, pepper, salt to taste. Add grated Parmesan and place your shrimp on the bed of spaghetti.