September 3, 2007
La Festa Al Fresco: 2007
Nothing signifies summer more for me than seafood cooked outdoors. In my Sicilian family, summer days were often punctuated by the familiar aroma of a wood fire, where pounds of clams or fish or crabs were roasting while dark-haired men in undershirts laughed and gestured with tan workmen's arms. The women called out from the kitchen from time to time to keep them in check, or periodically emerged with a tray of cold beers and a few pecks on the cheek. Other than a few faded pictures and my nostalgia, those days are gone...and I miss them.
So I decided to join all of you for La Festa Al Fresco 2007 and share a taste of my childhood. Inspired by memories, I purchased the seafood and got myself out of doors to grill (before the rain set in!).
My uncle, a constant presence at family dinners and often in control of the grill, made the most amazing octopus and I've tried to recreate it as part of my seafood tribute to the happy days of childhood. It's tomatoey-garlicky and a bit spicy. If you want to try cooking octopus at home, I really recommend this way of doing it. It's very easy! You can do the sauteing part on a pan on the grill; it's more fun that way.
The second dish is the simplest of grilled fishes, specifically sardines. Fresh sardines are a popular Sicilian summer dish, because not only are they quick to grill and taste delicious, they're cheap! I finally scored some fresh sardines in Munich and prepared them the way I remember my family doing it. Using a wad of herbs (rosemary, parsely, basil, thyme), you brush the sardines with good olive oil and then simply split the wad of herbs and stuff your sardines with them. More herbs top the fish, along with sea salt, and onto the grill they go. So easy that it's a non-recipe! That's the best kind of recipe, isn't it?
Tutti a tavola!
Sauteed Octopus
2 Tbsp olive oil;
3 minced garlic cloves;
2 chillies, deseeded and chopped (or a pinch of red pepper flakes if you don't have chilis);
A bit less than a pound/400 gram fresh octopus (whole but cleaned);
1/4 cup/60 mL white wine;
2 tomatoes, chopped;
1/4 cup/60 mL "passata" (crushed tomatoes) or chopped fresh tomatoes;
Nice handful of basil
Drop the octopus whole into a pot of boiling water for about an hour or until tender. Check with the sharp point of a thin-bladed knife; when it meets little resistance, the octopus is just done. Let it cool, then cut into large chunks.
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and chilies. Lightly fry them for a minute.
Turn up the heat and add the octopus, quickly tossing it in the pan for about 20 seconds. Add the wine and simmer for another 20 seconds.
Toss in the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and stir in the basil leaves.
To serve, plate the octopus and pour over some of the sauce. You can drizzle a little olive oil over and serve it with grilled bread.
Looking forward to your comments and to reading about your Al Fresco dishes!
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