Octopus Carpaccio with Red Wine Poached Pineapple

 

This dish has a great mix of flavors, from sweet and tangy to spicy and salty.  The prep for the dish is surprisingly easy and you do not need a lot of ingredients.

Start the dish by washing your raw octopus and then placing it in a large pot of salted water with rosemary, bay leaves, peppercorns and 2 wine corks.  Cover and simmer for 1 hour then take off the heat and let it cook to room temperature.  When the octopus is cooled remove from the pot and cut off the head and legs.  Take half of the octopus and arrange the legs in opposite directions on plastic wrap and roll several times into a log.  Cool in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

When you are ready, remove the plastic. The octopus should hold together firmly, and slice with a sharp knife or on a meat slicer.

For the pineapple, peel and cut into quarters lengthwise.  Poach in a mixture of red wine with a cinnamon stick, star anise and a pinch of salt for 30 minutes.  Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature in the liquid.  Remove one piece and slice into 1/8 inch strips.

For the pan roasted potato, remove the peel and cut off all the edges of the potato to form a rectangle.  Slice long ways into about a 1/4 inch and season with salt.  In a saute pan add a spoon of butter and melt over medium heat.  Add the sliced potatoes and cook slowly until golden brown on both sides.  Remove from the pan and pat dry to remove the extra butter.

To assemble the dish place your sliced octopus on the plate, you can arrange however you want.  Place one piece of the potato in the center and top with four slices of the pineapple and lastly with a second piece of potato.  Circle the plate with your favorite brand of sriracha sauce then season with a bit of black pepper and olive oil.  I top mine with a little bit of fresh herbs and mustard greens.  It is also nice with a bit of crushed wasabi peas.

 

 

Lobster Corndogs

Who does not like corndogs, especially made with lobster and made FRESH?

Much like doughnuts, corndogs always taste best when fresh and hot.  I guess when you think about putting things inside of a corndog instead of a hotdog, you start flashing back to clowns, the bearded lady and deep fried candy bars.  Sorry to disappoint you if that’s what you were looking for when you clicked here, the fair starts in July.  If you are still interested, I would like to church up your thinking of corndogs.

This recipe will make you fall in love with lobster all over again, if it’s even possible to have a falling out with such a delicious crustacean.

This recipe is very easy and quick.  Start out by mixing 2 cups of cornmeal with 2 cups of flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1 teaspoon cayenne, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika and 1 tablespoon of salt in a mixing bowl.  In a separate bowl mix 3 cups of buttermilk with 1 pound of grated corn, 2/3 cup of grated yellow onion and 1 tablespoon of honey.  Slowly incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry until fully mixed and smooth.

From here you can skewer your lobster; I use the meat from the claws.  Freeze them so they hold their shape when you dip and fry them.  After they are fried to golden brown in 350 degree oil, season with salt and garnish with chopped parsley.

There are a number of sauces you can serve with this appetizer; I like to use a chipotle sour cream with smoked paprika.  However you finish the dish, just do me a favor and have fun and enjoy!