Janice Tripepi

Summer continues to tease the bejeevers out of us in KwaZulu-Natal. This time of the year we are besieged by winds that whip us around like a good crack from Zorro’s infamous weapon of choice.

 The minute that the sun pops her head out the whole of Durban hauls out their shorts and slops. The early risers flock down to the beach where you will find personal trainers flogging their pupils half to death at boot camps designed to puncture the winter tummy, school sports teams are running their guts out preparing for the season ahead and the paltry trickle of hardened winter walkers increases tenfold. The beach is just magnificent and everyone is smiling and greeting each other with big cheesy grins.

 Suburbia is peppered with braais and the smell of wood fuelled fires is everywhere. Garages are doing a roaring trade in charcoal and the butchers and fish shops are abuzz with shoppers. No one can resist firing up the coals and winter woolies are swapped for bikinis and sarongs.

 Trickyricky came home with beautiful freshly caught chunky fresh fish steaks and some frozen Octopus last weekend. We consulted with our dear friends Rick Stein and Giorgio Locatelli for some inspiration and had a cracker of Sunday Lunch with some friends.

 Lunch Menu

 Starter

 Giorgio’s Octopus & Potato Salad

Like a hot knife through Octopus – my new expression!

Brilliant recipe Giorgio – butter soft Octopus.

Mains

Seared Swordfish Steaks with Salmoriglio

Served with Garlic & Rosemary Roasted Vine Tomatoes

Dessert

 Nutella Ripple Vanilla Semi-Freddo

Giorgio’s Octopus & Potato Salad

  page 92

 Ingredients

1 large octopus, cleaned (we used about 12 small octopuses)

1 large chilli, split in half

2 handfuls of flat leaf parsley

4 garlic cloves

6Tbs olive oil

8 small new potatoes scrubbed

1 onion chopped

3Tbs white wine vinegar

Juice of 1 lemon

2 celery stalks

Small bunch of chives

Salt and pepper

Top Tip: when you defrost frozen octopus, the freezing process breaks down the cell structure which tenderises the meat. If you use fresh octopus you will need to bash it with a wooden rolling pin for about 5 minutes to break down the fibres and tenderise the meat.

 Method

 Put the chilli, 1 handful of parsley, 3 whole garlic cloves and 3Tbs of olive oil

 in a large casserole.

Add the octopus (don’t season it or it will toughen up) cover with a lid

and simmer gently for about 1 ½ hours, until tender., Leave to cool.

 Meanwhile boil the potatoes until tender, then drain.

When cool enough to handle, remove the skins.

 Heat a couple of Tbsp. of the remaining oil in a small casserole,

add the onion and sweat until soft but not coloured.

Add the white wine vinegar and let it bubble until completely evaporated.

Remove from the heat.

Cut the potatoes into quarters, mix with the onion and season to taste.

 Squash the remaining garlic clove to a paste with the back of a knife

then put the rest of the parsley on top and chop it so that the two mix together well.

  When the octopus has cooled enough for you to handle, remove any big suckers and discard,

then cut the rest into small chunks and put into a bowl.

 Add the parsley and garlic and the lemon juice.

Season if necessary and mix in the rest of the olive oil.

    Cut the celery into julienne strips and the chives into short lengths.

Combine the potatoes with the octopus mixture and add the chives.

Exquisite!!!  Bravo Giorgio! 

 Sei un maestro estraodinario!

Seeing as Christmas is on the way – and it’s just so great to receive a

 gift that one actually WANTS – it’s a great idea to start dropping

clangers about desirable gifts!

Giorgio Locatelli’s – Made In Italy Food & Stories is a truly authentic

Italian Cookbook and one of the jewels in my cookbook crown!

You can buy it at most book stores or order in on-line.

 As always

Buon Appetito

 xx

jan

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Have a great day all!

xxx

jan