my first octopus

so i am stuck here in the dominican republic. my boss, instead of cancelling his vaction with friends, decides to fly here and try to enjoy his vacation at the resort where our boat is docked and has been docked for three weeks.

luckily we meet edward who takes us to la marketa for groceries.

i am elated to find a close to "real" store here although the russian section bewilders me..

i stumble upon a frozen two pound octopus caught in the local waters here off the DR. this makes me happy! i buy four!

i cook on a boat and at most times i am in remote places. i find almost all my cooking resources online. so this is where i find my info on how to cook an octopus. i find a few different variations of techniques. i decide to boil it. i want to make sure the meat is nice and tender.

i make a stock with an onion. red wine. celery stalks. generous salt. and some peppercorns.

i have read that the octopus is done when you take a knife to the upper leg portion nearest the head and pierce with a knife. it should gently slice in. like a potato.

after boiling it you can do whatever you like with your octopus!

i let the octopus simmer on the stove top covered for about forty-five minutes. this will depend on the size of the octopus. remember the octopus will still continue to cook in the water after you have removed it from the heat. i let it cool for about twenty minutes before moving the octopus to a colander in the sink to cool. once cool you can move to a cutting board. i didn't keep the head. i'm sure there are many uses for it however.

i hope to learn more about this.

the "skin" and "fat" of the octopus still confuses me a bit. some sites tell me to rub off the skin layer. in doing so i accidentally removed some of the suckers off the tentacles.

i will have to learn more about this as i love those things!!

first recipe.

ok. i am finally starting this thing. here is the first recipe i will share.

i forgot to take pictures of course.

it is a very beautiful dish. full of color.

panko almond red snapper

with blue crab basil and black bean salsa

served with coconut rice and puree of mango

salsa:

1 can blue lump crab meat

3/4 can black beans drained & rinsed

1 medium red onion diced

1 or 2 thai chilies . depends on heat preference

1/4 cup basil chiffonade

juice of 2 small limes

splash of rice vinegar

S & P

mango puree:

1 ripe mango diced

teaspoon of lemon juice

pinch of salt

coconut rice:

jasmine rice

1 can coconut milk

red snapper:

4 snapper filets skin removed

olive oil

S & P

1/2 cup almond flour

3/4 cup coarse shopped almonds

3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

3 eggs

1 tablespoon butter

combine all ingredients for salsa except crab

use about a tablespoon of sea salt and adjust pepper to your preference

once all items have been coated evenly add the crab

gently stir so as not to break up the meat too much.

salsa should have a nice amount of liquid at the bottom

let marinade in refrigerator while finishing the dish.

tablespoon of butter in saute pan

add diced mango and saute for a few minutes till softened

remove from heat and add lemon juice and salt. stir

once cool drain liquid and puree

should be nice and creamy like a thick smoothie.

set aside

rinse 1 cup of jasmine rice in colander

add rice to 2 cups coconut milk ( unsweetened) with salt

bring to boil. reduce and let simmer around 15 minutes.

rice is done when tender.

remove from heat when rice is close to finished

as it will continue cooking in saucepan.

keep covered

combine almond flour & bits with panko on large plate or pan

whip 3 eggs in wide mouth bowl

season filets with salt and pepper

coat filets in egg. let excess run off.

dredge filets in almond mix. gently shake off any loose crust.

depending on size of filets you may need to add more egg or coating mix.

pre-heat oven to 35o degrees

2 tablespoons olive oil in medium saute pan

high heat. cook two filets at a time as to not overcrowd pan.

you may need to adjust heat.

cook fish 3 minutes per side depending on thickness

should be a nice brown golden color.

add slices of butter atop each filet and place back in saute pan

place pan in oven and cook for 4 to five minutes depending on thickness

fish will be done when gently flakes.

spoon mango puree onto plate

add a a heap of rice. then fish

spoon salsa over fish

add a touch more fresh basil chiffonade.

enjoy.

cooking offshore.

peter island

m/y fugitive

cooking on boats its very different than cooking on land. access to markets. storage situations. how much the boss wants to move. so on and so forth.

frozen meats and canned goodies are my saving grace. if i can make a gourmet meal from a can and a freezer then i can do no wrong.

baked camembert with roasted apricots. stuffed with pumpkin seeds. framed with balsamic glaze and drizzled with warm cointreau

white bay. guana island

s/y oteka

ivans campground

jost van dyke

m/y fugitive

......halfway in. i feel its time to document my life.

here lies my new project.

.i dont know what i will write about or what i will cook.

i'm hoping this blog will help me organize a little of my time

and help sharemy recipes with family and friends.

the thought of reading this fifteen years from now is also very persuasive.

biras creek. virgin gorda

s/y charme

Peter Primont

President of Cherry Lane Records