How to Roast a Lamb_ New Greek Classic Cooking - Michael Psilakis [22]
I always have an octopus dish on the menu, and this was the opening octopus dish at Onera, the restaurant that later became my flagship, Anthos. It got quite a lot of attention from the press!
4 legs of octopus, braised (as on page 218), at room temperature
1 small green apple, such as Granny Smith, peeled, quartered, cored, and cut into ¼-inch batons
4 ounces thickly sliced lountza (salami, such as Genoa, may be substituted) cut into ¼-inch batons
About cup White Anchovy Vinaigrette (page 273)
Extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
Small handful picked fresh mint
Cut the octopus into rough chunks.
In a bowl, combine the octopus, apple, and salami. There should be roughly equal quantities of apple and salami. Drizzle the mixture with some of the chunky vinaigrette and toss to coat evenly.
Transfer to a platter or plates and drizzle with olive oil. Season with a little sea salt and cracked pepper and garnish with fresh mint.
ROASTED SKATE WITH WALNUT BAKLAVA, YOGURT & CANDIED QUINCE
SELAHI ME BAKLAVA KARYDIOU, YAOURTI KAI ZAHAROMENA KYDONIA
SERVES 4 AS A PLATED APPETIZER, OR 2 TO 3 AS AN ENTRÉE
This dish is a little complicated, but if you take the time to make the candied quince, you will definitely also want to make my wonderful yogurt dessert on page 108. The fruit will keep for weeks in the refrigerator, as long as you sterilize the jar. Watch out for cross-contamination from the spoon you use to scoop it out (always use a perfectly clean one).
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Pinch of ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 cup walnut halves
4 sheets phyllo dough, thawed
¼ cup clarified butter
2 tablespoons strained or Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon blended oil
1 tablespoon water
1¼ pounds boneless, skinless skate wings
All-purpose flour
½ cup Candied Quince (page 277)
1 teaspoon chopped dill
4 leaves fresh mint, slivered
2 scallions, green part only, thinly sliced
5 to 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large leaves sage, slivered
1½ tablespoons capers
First, make the walnut baklava: in a small bowl, combine the cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. In a small nonstick skillet, combine the sugar and water and, over low heat, stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add the walnuts and toss to coat. Cook, stirring, until all the moisture has evaporated and the sugar begins to caramelize. Transfer to the bowl with the spices and toss. Cool on a piece of parchment. Chop fine. Use half the nuts for the walnut baklava and reserve the rest for serving.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Brush with clarified butter and scatter evenly with a big pinch of the spiced nuts. Repeat with 2 more sheets of phyllo and finish with the last phyllo sheet. Brush it with butter, but do not scatter with nuts. Bake for about 15 minutes, until mottled golden and dark brown. Let cool, then break the walnut baklava into odd-shaped shards, and reserve.
In a bowl, whisk together the yogurt and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Reserve.
In a large skillet, warm the blended oil over medium heat. When it is very hot, season both sides of the skate pieces with salt and pepper, and dust one side generously with flour. Rub the flour in, then shake off the excess. Slide the pieces into the hot pan, flour-side down. Cook without disturbing for about 2 minutes, until golden. Turn over, and remove the pan from the heat, allowing residual heat to finish cooking the fish while you complete the dish.
Smear the plates or platter with some of the yogurt mixture. Alternate layers of skate and crushed baklava, showcasing the fish as much as possible. Scatter a few pieces of candied quince over and around, and throw the fresh dill and mint and scallion greens over all.
Add the