Italian Grill - Mario Batali [33]
Place the lobsters shell side down on the grill and cook until nearly done, 6 to 7 minutes. Turn them flesh side down and cook for 1 minute longer, or until just cooked through.
Meanwhile, dress the arugula with ¼ cup of the lemon oil and a little coarse salt and pile in the center of a large serving platter.
Arrange the lobster over and around the arugula and garnish with the lemon wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature, with the remaining lemon oil on the side.
Simple but luxurious. Limoncello is a sweet Italian liqueur—buy a bottle to use for the lemon oil and keep the rest of it in the refrigerator or freezer to serve very cold as a digestivo.
SEA SCALLOPS
ALLA CAPRESE
SERVES 6
2 pounds mixed great heirloom tomatoes
24 fresh basil leaves
3 medium red onions, cut into 1-inch-thick slices
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 to 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
12 giant diver scallops (about 2 ounces each) Maldon salt or other coarse sea salt
1 lemon, cut in half
PREHEAT A GAS GRILL or prepare a fire in a charcoal grill. Place a piastra (see page 9) on the grill to preheat.
Slice the tomatoes creatively (leave very small ones whole, or halve them) and lay out on a platter. Tear the basil leaves over the tomatoes, strewing them about. Set aside.
Season the onion slices on both sides with salt and pepper. Place them on the hot dry piastra and cook, unmoved, for 7 to 10 minutes, until well charred on the first side. Using tongs, carefully turn the slices over and cook for 7 to 10 minutes on the second side, until well charred and softened. Transfer to a plate and let cool slightly, then separate the onion slices into smaller rings and scatter them over the tomatoes. Drizzle the whole mess with 3 to 4 tablespoons of the olive oil.
While the onions cook, carve a checkerboard pattern about ¼ inch deep into one side of each scallop. Season the scallops all over with salt and pepper, toss them in a bowl with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, and stir gently to coat.
Place the scallops on the dry clean piastra, design side down, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, unmoved, until almost cooked—they should be opaque almost all the way through. Flip them over and sear for just 30 seconds, then remove and arrange on the tomato salad.
Sprinkle the scallops and tomatoes with Maldon salt, squeeze the lemon halves over them, and serve.
Scoring the scallops before grilling makes them open up like a flower. The trick here is to cook the scallops 90 percent on the first side, until very well seared, then just give them a quick finish on the other side.
OCTOPUS
AND POTATO SALAD
SERVES 6
One 3-pound octopus (frozen octopus is fine), sac, beak, and eyes removed (you can have the fishmonger do this)
6 garlic cloves
2 dried Italian chilies or other hot chilies
1 pound medium Yellow Finn or Yukon Gold potatoes (4 or 5 potatoes)
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
1 cup (8 ounces) pitted Gaeta olives
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
PUT THE OCTOPUS, GARLIC, CHILIES, and 2 wine corks (the corks help tenderize the octopus) in a medium pot, add water to cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until the thickest part of the octopus is tender when pierced with a knife. Drain and allow to cool. Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a large saucepan of generously salted water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat slightly and cook until the potatoes are just knife-tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain and let cool for about 5 minutes.
Peel and halve the warm potatoes and place in a medium bowl. Add ½ cup of the olive oil, the scallions, red onion, lemon zest and juice, and olives and stir gently to mix. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
Preheat a gas grill or prepare a fire in a charcoal grill.
Brush the octopus with