How to Roast a Lamb_ New Greek Classic Cooking - Michael Psilakis [98]
Season the octopus legs and head liberally with kosher salt and pepper. Place a large skillet over the highest heat and let it get smoking hot. Sear the octopus in batches, to avoid overcrowding the pan. Film the skillet with a little olive oil and when it is hot, add 2 of the legs, tentacle-sides down. Sear to a really nice reddish brown, 2 or 3 minutes, turning. Remove the octopus to a Dutch oven or roasting pan and, after returning the skillet to superhot, sear the remaining legs and the head.
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Add the shallots, garlic, fennel, celery, herbs, and spices to the skillet and pan-roast until golden brown. Add the lemon slices and deglaze the pan with 2 cups of the white wine. Pour the braising liquid over the octopus, add the remaining wine, and press a sheet of parchment over the top. Cover the pan with a lid or aluminum foil and roast in the oven until fork-tender, about 1 to 1½ hours, depending on the size of the octopus. Cool to room temperature in the braising liquid. Transfer the octopus to a rack to dry slightly. (Do this the night before, if you like, and refrigerate.)
In a tabletop or outdoor smoker, ignite the wood chips and let them begin to smolder. Cold-smoke all the braised octopus pieces for 15 minutes.
Cut the octopus head into very thin julienne. Cut each octopus leg in half crosswise. Reserve all the pieces in the refrigerator. Thirty minutes before serving, bring the legs and the head julienne to room temperature.
FENNEL PURÉE
Cut the fennel, potatoes, and shallots into similar-sized, rough chunks, so they will cook evenly. Warm a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Film the pot with a little olive oil, then add the fennel, potatoes, shallots, and garlic, and sweat until softened but not colored, about 10 minutes. Season liberally with kosher salt and pepper and add the fennel pollen.
Add the milk, partially cover the pan, and simmer until the vegetables are almost falling apart. Drain the vegetables, reserving the cooking liquid. Purée the vegetables in a blender, in batches if necessary, adding just enough of the braising liquid to keep it moving, until the mixture is very smooth, about the consistency of yogurt. Pass the purée through a chinoise or a tamis sieve, pushing down hard. Reserve.
TO ASSEMBLE
Preheat a large cast-iron pan until very, very hot. Add about ¼ inch of olive oil to the pan and when it is very hot, pan-roast the octopus legs in batches, to prevent overcrowding, until very crispy and golden brown on all sides.
Turn the legs over and add the Pickled Chanterelles and Pickled Pearl Onions, celery, and Lemon Confit to the pan. Roast everything together for 2 to 3 minutes, tossing, to infuse the flavors throughout the fat and caramelize the Lemon Confit slices. Transfer everything to a large bowl with most of the pan juices. Add the shaved baby fennel and celery leaves, and toss to blend. Pull the lemon slices out of the salad, to use for garnish.
Make a small pool of the Fennel Purée on each plate. Place the upper, larger half of an octopus leg on top and spoon some warm pickled vegetables over and around it. Lean the smaller end of the octopus leg against the assembly and top with a slice of Lemon Confit and a few pieces of the julienned octopus head.
ANTHOS SHELLFISH YOUVETSI
SERVES 4
This recipe is a perfect example of the technical differences between home and haute cooking. The Shellfish Youvetsi on page 79 explores the simpler—though still wonderful—home-style version of this dish, which should not take you more than half an hour to put together. To produce the following recipe, along with the balance of a typical menu at Anthos, twenty-five people work feverishly all day.
I have provided this recipe to allow you to reflect on these differences. For you to fully absorb this illustration,