Mauros Grilled Octopus With Fennel And Orange Recipes

GRILLED FENNEL SALAD WITH ORANGES

Steps:

• Orange:
• Grate 1/2 teaspoon of orange zest, then cut the rind and pith away from the orange. Segment the orange, over a bowl, making sure to cut on each side of the membrane. Squeeze the remaining membrane and reserve the juice.
• Vinaigrette:
• Whisk together the lime juice, mustard, 4 teaspoons reserved orange juice, 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon orange zest. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Heat a grill to medium.
• Salad:
• Brush the cut flat sides of the fennel bulbs with olive oil and season with salt. Put on the grill and cook until you see grill marks. Remove them from the grill to a cutting board and let cool. Remove and discard the core. Thinly slice the fennel bulb vertically. Add the fennel slices to a glass bowl along with the shaved celery and the whole parsley leaves. Add the vinaigrette, toss to combine and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Divide the salad among 4 individual serving plates. Using a vegetable peeler, shave 4 strips of Parmigiano-Reggiano and put 1 strip on top of each salad. Arrange the orange segments on top of composed salad and serve.

GRILLED OCTOPUS

Steps:

• Fill a large pot 1/2 full with water. Add 2 tablespoons kosher salt, peppercorns, and the wine cork; bring to a boil over high heat.
• Meanwhile, place octopus on a cutting board. Using a wooden spoon or meat mallet, pound the octopus multiple times, starting in the middle and moving down each tentacle to tenderize the meat.
• Dip tentacles into the boiling water 3 times, holding them in the boiling water 2 to 3 seconds each time, until the tentacles curl up. Submerge entire octopus in the boiling water. Bring water back to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until octopus is fork-tender, 45 to 60 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for 30 minutes.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Grill octopus until charred on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
• Remove from heat, slice into pieces, and place on a serving platter. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, squeeze lemon over top, sprinkle with parsley, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

GRILLED FENNEL AND ORANGE SALAD WITH ALMONDS AND MINT

Steps:

• Heat grill to high. Brush the fennel with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until slightly charred and almost cooked through. Place fennel on a platter and scatter orange segments over the top. Whisk together the orange juice, zest, mustard, and olive oil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Drizzle vinaigrette over the salad. Sprinkle with almonds and mint and serve.

GRILLED OCTOPUS WITH CHICKPEAS AND OREGANO

Steps:

• For the octopus: preheat the oven to 300 degrees. In a large pot, combine all of the ingredients (the corks are believed to tenderize the octopus) and season with salt. Cover with a lid and slowly bring to a boil over medium-low heat. Place in the oven and cook until the octopus is easily pierced with a knife, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Let cool to room temperature in liquid. Remove the octopus and, using scissors, separate the tentacles from the body. Discard the head and beak.
• For the marinade: combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Marinate the tentacles for at least 30 minutes. Preheat a grill to high heat.
• For the salad: in a small saucepan, bring the vinegar and sugar to a boil over medium heat. Add the onions and remove from the heat. Allow to cool. Strain the liquid.
• Grill the octopus over high heat for about 1 minute; turn the tentacles and cook for 1 more minute.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and the olive oil. Add the oregano and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Add the pickled onions and chickpeas and mix well. To serve, spoon the chickpea mixture onto plates and place the octopus on top.

MAURO'S GRILLED OCTOPUS WITH FENNEL AND ORANGE

Steps:

• 1 Check the base of the octopus to see if the hard, round beak has been removed. Squeeze it out if necessary. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add the octopus and simmer until tender when pierced with a knife, 30 to 60 minutes. Rinse and dry the octopus. Cut large octopus into 3-inch pieces. 2 In a bowl, combine the octopus with 3 tablespoons of the oil, the garlic, parsley, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Let marinate 1 hour up to overnight in the refrigerator 3 Slice off the base of the fennel and trim off any bruised spots. Remove the green stems, reserving the feathery green leaves, if any, for garnish. Cut the fennel into quarters lengthwise and trim away the core. Slice the quarters crosswise into very thin slices. You should have about 3 cups. 4 In a medium bowl, whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons of the oil, lemon juice, and salt to taste. Add the fennel, orange sections, olives, and fennel leaves, if available, and toss gently. 5 Place a barbecue grill rack or broiler pan about 4 inches from the heat. Preheat the grill or broiler. When ready, grill or broil the octopus, turning once, until browned and crisp, about 3 minutes per side. 6 Arrange the fennel salad on four plates and top with the octopus. Serve immediately. From "1,000 Italian Recipes." Copyright 2004 by Michele Scicolone. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.