I had an invitation I could not decline. A friend of mine wanted to prepare some octopus and that is definitely something I really like to eat.
As I lived most of my life at the Mediterranean Sea I always liked fish, mussels, octopus and more fresh from the sea. Friends of mine are often fishing in the night and we had so great dinners with fresh sea food. The time I live elsewhere I really miss it.
So this friend of mine ordered a kilo of octopus. A whole lot and it would be too much for just the two of us.
She asked me to prepare a mixed salad with a nice dressing, she would provide also a yummy dessert: walnuts glazed in coconut flakes. Place of culinary crime: her garden already full of flowers.
So the morning I got into my garden to take some herbs for the fresh yogurt and herbs dressing for the mixed salad and when all was ready I took off to meet my friend in her garden. Well: first in her kitchen to prepare together.
She wanted to start with the walnuts because they had to cool out for later. So in a few minutes she was ready with them, baking in the oven. The smell was already delicious and slowly I got hungry and my belly was grumbling.
Then the big work with the two calamari began. They were beautiful, heavy and looked great. To clean them it’s a bit tricky because it’s not easy to get off the skin. She cut the tentacles, got rid of the head and all the inside. I would have liked them also filled, cooked in tomato sauce. Super delicious! But she opted for a deep-fry in the pan.
It took her a while to clean the two octopus and then to cut into rings. To fry them she took ”my” grape seed flour (for me as I don’t eat grain flour) but wanted try out wheat flour as well. Just to taste the difference.
Frying is easy and short. And meanwhile she was frying our lunch I took out the walnuts, already cooled out and had a try. Delicious!!! OK, first the sea food, then the dessert.
We brought our lunch out into the garden on her terrace, surrounded by flowers and butterflies, bathing in the sun and enjoying a real great lunch. What a day! It felt a little bit like home in Ischia, last summer, soon again…
- Clean the octopus with a lot of running water. If you chose calamari and they are already clean, omit this action.
- Dry the octopus and cut into small edible pieces
- Mix the grape seed flour and the salt in a middle seized bowl.
- Pass the octopus pieces or calamari in the flour mix and give them immediately in the hot oil of a large frying pan.
- let them golden, stir a little to get all sides equal.
- Put pieces on a paper kitchen towel to get off the oil.
When getting them out of the oil, let the pieces first rest a little on a bunch of paper towels to get rid of the oil. Put them in a bowl and serve them fresh.
Serve a mixed salad and straight on the octopus rings fresh homemade mayonnaise with garlic.
- Pre-heat oven to 180°C.
- Mix all the ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Add the agave nectar the coconut flakes and mix well.
- Put all on a plate or baking sheet and in the oven
- They are ready when they start to look golden.
It doesn't seem so when looking at them, but nuts are really ''filling''. So the whole amount of caramelized walnuts is enough for 4 persons.
