Tandoorified Cauliflower "Steak"

Does that mean you can make thick slices of cauliflower that don't fall apart and grill them?

I cannot believe how much diversity you can find in vegetables!  This is one of my many gifts this week.  But this one, I procured for myself.

(The other ones were indoor skydiving, a dinner cruise, and the new Steve n Seagulls album).

So, the only downside is that you can only make 2 "steaks" out of 1 cauliflower head.  The rest are just florets.. but I'll tell you what to do with those.. it's actually not really a problem.
Serves 2 steaks + 2 servings of florets
Ingredients
1 head cauliflower (mine was green cauliflower)
2 tsp tandoori spices
2 Tbsp olive oil
juice from 1/2 lime
chopped cilantro for garnish
Directions
1.  Make the slices.  Remove the outer leaves of the cauliflower head without cutting the stem.  Place it upside down on the cutting board, stem up (like a head stand) and slice right down the center of the stem to have 2 halves.. like a human brain.  Then slice each half once more, making a 1.5 to 2cm steak with each half.  The rest will break off as florets.  Keep those aside.
2.  In a saucer, stir the tandoori spices and olive oil together.  Brush this mixture generously all over the steaks.  Toss the rest of the mixture with the florets.
3. Take care of the florets.  Preheat the oven to 400°F 200°C.  Squeeze just a touch of lime juice over the florets, place them in an oven proof dish or sheet pan, making sure they are well separated, and bake for about 25 minutes.
4.  Now for the steaks.  Heat up your grill, plancha, or griddle pan to high heat.  Grill the steaks for about 2-3 minutes on each side, until they start to get grill marks.  Drizzle a touch of lime juice will this is happening.
5.  Remove from the grill/plancha/griddle and place in the oven.  I griddled on a cast iron skillet and just transferred the skillet to the oven.  Cook for about 15 minutes.  This will have the outside crispy and charge and the inside tender enough without being mushy.
This is perfection.
6.  Serve the steaks drizzled with lime juice and chopped cilantro.  The florets can be served the same way, but without the "steak" look.

I served mine with some Toor Dal, basmati rice, and some sauteed spinach.

Let me tell you about that spinach real quickly.

I took some nigella seeds (also known as black onion seeds) and threw them into some hot olive oil, then added some sliced garlic, and then threw in the spinach and cooked until it wilted.  Then I seasoned with a bit of fleur de sel and added 1 Tbsp dried pomegranate seeds for crunch.

I don't know where that idea came from, but it was a great idea and nicely complemented the rest.

So about those steaks.. there is something ultimately satisfying about tandoorifying vegetables.  The char marks from the grill give the veggies that superior dimension and tandoori spices complement that texture perfectly.

The result is eye-candy.. we rarely see the cross-section of cauliflower heads, nature is truly beautiful.

Griddled Marinated Quail Egg Skewers with Basil Salt

So apparently, you can give a woman a fish, and she'll feed you for a day.  Teach a woman how to fish, and she'll feed you for a lifetime... until there are no more fish to be caught, and she'll have to teach her how to dig up mushrooms.

Oh man, that started out nicely but I killed it.

Besides the overfishing bit, I believe this to be true.  These marinated eggs are the result of a certain method of fishing I learned earlier this year.  The fishing lesson was Asian Style with dark soy sauce, and my new creation is Balsamic & Olive oil with Basil salt.

I never would have imagined doing this to quail eggs if it wasn't for that very first discovery, so thank you Yotam for releasing your genius in me.

Griddled marinated cherry tomatoes are also the bomb.  Thank you, Me.

Makes 18-24 skewers (depending on how many quail eggs are packed together)

Ingredients

pack of fresh quail eggs

1 cherry tomato per quail egg

toothpicks for skewers

Marinade:

3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

juice from 1/2 lime

1 Tbsp olive oil

pinch salt

Topping:

6-7 leaves fresh basil, finely chopped

few pinches Pink Himalayan Salt or other special salt

few cracks black pepper

Directions

1.  Soft boil the quail eggs.  To do this, I placed them in my steamer basked and steamed on high heat for 3 minutes, then let them cool before peeling.  They were perfect.. not too liquid, but velvet cream style.

2.  Make the marinade by mixing the balsamic vinegar, lime juice, salt, and olive oil.  Make the skewers by placing 1 egg and 1 cherry tomato on a toothpick.  Place the skewers in the marinade.  Let marinate for at least 1 hour.

3.  Get ready to grill.  I  used my stovetop griddle pan.  Drain the eggs from the marinade and place on the very hot griddle pan for about 1 minute, making sure to turn them at least once so they get the char marks on 2 sides.  Don't discard the marinade.  Use it on a salad or drizzle it on some grilled veggies.  Don't be wasteful.  Balsamic vinegar is delicious.

4.  Top with some cracked black pepper, pink Himalayan salt, and finely chopped basil.  Don't use table salt.  If you don't have Himalayan salt, use another specialty salt or at the very least, fleur de sel.  You don't want this to have an overly salty taste  but you want it to have texture with the special salt.

Serve at happy hour or as an appetizer.

The marinade was not as strong as the Asian style griddled eggs, but the slight balsamic hint of flavor was definitely there, and much appreciated by my tasters.

This works out so perfectly because you can really taste the grilled part.  The slight char marks make a big difference in taste and texture.  This really is a fool-proof situation here.

I love the bite size-ness of quail eggs and I LOVE that they are easy to find here.  This would transfer well on large skewers on a bbq with other things as well.

BBQ Butternut Squash

So the last time I fired up my grill, I decided to slice up my butternut, splash it with olive oil, paprika, and fleur de sel, and throw it on the grill.

I wasn't sure what I was thinking, or if it would be worth sacrificing an entire butternut squash, 

but I'm so happy I did.

This was a pleasant surprise.  I grilled it about 20 minutes, moving the slices around regularly, and when they each had some nice char, decided they were done.

Their natural sweetness caramelized right in front of my eyes on the bbq.

Even the picky ones loved it.. it's a win-win situation.

The Seppia of my Life

 Words cannot do this justice.

One must experience this to fully understand the meaning of life.

Cuttlefish, Seiche, or Seppia, however you like to name it, is my all-time favorite living being to enjoy grilled on the plancha.  Whenever I can get my hands on some fresh ones or have it at a restaurant, you can bet it's going to be in my belly.

This is the first time I've cooked such a big one.  The plate shows only half of it (because I unfortunately had to share) but it was a beauty.

The preparation is methodic, but each step gets me more excited until the very first bite where all I can feel is total bliss.  This is powerful stuff.  It pushes my serotonin button and makes my eyes roll back.

The best part is I finally picked my first of 3 beef heart tomatoes to join me in my nirvana-state.

They were perfect.  Just lightly seasoned with Himalayan pink salt, some pepper, and garden parsley.

Oooh!

So how do you prepare Cuttlefish?

Well, you can have your fish monger clean it and remove the skin (which is easier).. or, you can do it yourself... just be careful not to poke your knife into one of the eyes or it will squirt everywhere and might disturb the moment.

The important part is to remove the bone (or plume) and eyes, then pull the skin off and you're done.

For the plancha:

If it is a large one like mine, cut the body in half to make 2 steaks, and score each side diagonally with a knife.

Rub some grated garlic, hot pepper flakes, fleur de sel, and black pepper all over it, then drizzle with olive oil and let it marinate until you're ready to grill (while you're preparing the rest of your sides).

Then, when the plancha or griddle pan is hot, cook it while pressing down (because the sides will curl up) for about 2 minutes on each side.  You should see some nice grill marks.

Then remove and squeeze some lime juice on it and it's ready to go.

Mmmm.. look at that beauty.  I spoke to it at the store before, on the ride home, and while I was preparing it.

It sacrificed itself for me, and I am every so grateful for having experienced this moment...

Black Bean & Beet Veggie Burgers

Shortly after purchasing a burger press, I figured anything could be shaped into a burger.  It didn't always have to be ground beef.  I could mix different meats, hide edible surprises inside patties, or even go all veg.  Why not give it a try?
Making an all veg burger is quite a challenge.. but only because I'm calling it a burger.  Calling it a burger means it should resemble meat.  In a meat burger, there is outer char, juicy inside, texture, and doesn't need much seasoning to be delicious. Trying to replicate all those aspects is a long process, but if you plan ahead and make enough to freeze individual patties, you are a total winner.
Just like me.
The reward for all your efforts is to have it on a bun with all your favorite fixings.  Nothing can beat that reward.  Plus, this one is made with beets.  So you can beet that... haha.

Recipe adapted from TheKitchn

Serves 8

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, grated

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

3 red beets, roasted @ 200°C 400°F for 50 minutes, then peeled, grated, and squeezed

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed, cooked, and cooled

1 1/2 cup dried black beans, cooked (or 2 cans, drained) and separated into 2 portions

1/4 cup dried figs (or pitted prunes)

3 tsp smoked paprika

2 tsp mustard

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp dried thyme

salt/cracked black pepper

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (sub balsamic vinegar if vegetarian)

1/4 cup oats, blended into flour

1 egg (optional)

Directions

1.  Heat the olive oil in a pan and add the onions.  When the onions are translucent, add the garlic.  Cook until the onions are brown.  Don't burn them.  Deglaze with the apple cider vinegar.  Remove from heat and set aside.

2.  Pulse one of the 2 portions of black beans with the dried figs.  You want them roughly chopped, not pureed.

3.  In a mixing bowl, add everything but the egg and ground oats.  Mix with your hands until the mixture is homogenous.

4.  If using, add the egg and mix well, then add the ground oats and combine well.

5.  Refrigerate this mix for at least 2 hours, at most 2 days.  It will be easier to form the patties when cold.

6.  Shape the burgers into patties.  I used my burger press with parchment paper (meatless burgers are sticky).  If you don't have a burger press, use about 1 cup of the mixture per burger.

7.  To cook, use a plancha, bbq, or griddle pan.  I used my cast iron griddle pan on high for 3 minutes on each side.  It should stay together if you don't poke it too much.  It won't stay together the way a beef patty would, though, so keep that in mind.  I was able to get some nice grill marks on mine.

Serve on a bun with your favorite fixings.

I like mine with lettuce, onion, tomato, a bit of cheese, some mustard and samurai sauce, a chipotle chile, sometimes avocado, and always an egg.

I have to admit to how proud I am of these burgers.  All I wanted was to get a bit of char on there, and feel like I'm biting into something.  Of course, the texture is not the same as a beef burger, but it's not too far off.. and it definitely deserves its place on the grill.
I'm almost out already, so I'm going to be making a bigger batch soon.

Ginger Sesame Turkey Heart Skewers

Here's something strangely delicious to try out.

Go out and buy a bunch of chicken or turkey hearts, marinate them in some leftover Nuoc Mam Cham dipping sauce (or specially make a batch), add some sesame oil, and sesame seeds,

skewer them with cherry tomatoes, onions, and bell peppers,

and grill them alongside some corn on the cob on your BBQ.

It takes about 15 minutes on the grill, depending on the size of the hearts to get that grilled goodness on the hearts.

Have them with some hoisin dipping sauce and call it your own invention!

That's what I did anyway...

If the idea of eating hearts makes you somewhat squeamish, the real star in this is the marinade.

Nuoc Mam Cham Marinade

3 Tbsp nuoc nam (fish sauce)
4 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp shao xing
2 cloves garlic, grated
juice from 1 lemon
1 thai chili, chopped
1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 tsp chopped fresh lemongrass

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1 Tbsp sesame seeds

Think outside of the sausages and burgers...

Squid Grilled on the Plancha

When this happens.. I feel I have fully lived my life..

BBQ Corn on the Cob & Veggie Skewers

 This is how Americans do BBQ.

Good old fashioned corn on the cob with hot sexy skewers of eggplant, bell pepper, cherry tomato, mushroom, and apricot.

And some nicely charred chicken.

My Grill is my new Happy Place

Griddled Cuttlefish....

Heaven is This.

Seabass on the BBQ

 Sometimes you just need to BBQ between the rain drops...

Stuffed with sliced shallots, grated garlic, chopped cilantro, a squeeze of lime and a nice dash of sexy black pepper and olive oil.

Grilled for about 10 minutes on the BBQ, until skin was golden and flesh was flakey..

A dream come true..

Razor Clams and Trout on the Plancha

 Thanks to these little razors marinated in garlic, ginger, lime and olive oil,

 these big boys stuffed with red onion, red bell, and piment d'espelette...

nicely grilled, back to front..

and some heavenly grilled zucchini and asparagus that I was allowed to have a moment of sanity in my head this weekend...

Enough said.

Asparagus on the Plancha

Life true cannot surpass the goodness of asparagus in all its splendor and freshness.

Tossed with garlic, lime juice, olive oil, piment d'espelette, and fleur de sel, then grilled on the Plancha on high for about 5 minutes, turning once, so that they are colored on the outside but still nice and crunchy..

.. and then served with some other plancha vegetables, gambas, and sardines.

My fishmonger asked me, "So you are feeling Spanish tonight?"

I said yes.

Grilled Prime Rib with Aïoli Crusted Lobster

Europeans assume that the only specialty the US has is hamburgers, and when they say hamburgers, they are thinking McD's.  They assume that any meal Americans eat other than burgers is an import (Italian, Mexican, Japanese...). While it is true that the US is a melting pot of cultures, and thus, cuisine, there are a few dishes that are typically American and are rarely seen in other countries.

Surf and Turf is one of them.  The association of a superbe cut of beef with some shrimp, crab, or lobster is unheard of on this side of the pond.  Surf and Turf over here consists of  scallops and leeks. The Surf element is usually some type of shellfish and the Turf element some type of vegetable grown in the ground (as opposed to picked off its plant.). While the Euro style is delicious, nothing screams Vegas the way some excellent prime rib and lobster or king crab does.

Mmm king crab.  Found rarely and always frozen here.

Another diffence I've noticed about France is that shrimp, crab, or lobster is always eaten cold and usually with mayonaise.  Aside from the peel and eat shrimp, I haven't been able to adapt to the cold crustacean business.

No wonder they never thought to pair it with a lovely côte de boeuf!  They don't really imagine hot lobster tail at all.
The advantage of being an expat is being able to create fusion between the two cultures.  In the south of France, they have this garlic emulsion called aïoli that they eat with their cold seafood and steamed vegetables.  I took it to the fusion level and brushed it onto my lobster before roasting it, making it beautifully crusty.  I did a similar version of this a few months ago with rouille.

To balance it out, I made a side of garlic mashed potatoes and sautéed fennel with spinach. 

Since I have mega issues cooking for 1 or 2, this happily feeds 4.

Rusted Aïoli

5 cloves garlic, smashed

Pinch fleur de sel

1 egg yolk

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp Rouille spices (chile powder, paprika, saffron)

1 tsp minneola (tangelo) juice

Few grinds black pepper

Make this first.  You can do it ahead of time. (Metal)
1.  In a mortar and pestle, grind the garlic into a paste with the fleur de sel.  You don't want any bits and pieces.  You want a smooth paste.
2.  Transfer to a mixing bowl and add the egg yolk and the minneola juice.  Whisk well.  There will be a chemical reaction happening between the acid and the egg.
3.  Very slowly pour in the olive oil while whisking, just a little at a time.  You want to create a mayonnaise-like emulsion.  I completely suck at doing this, but I don't really care because I'm going to brush it on some lobster and roast it.. not dip cold crab into it!

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

4 medium potatoes, scrubbed and steamed (pressure cook 15 minutes)

2 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp minneola juice

1 Tbsp aïoli

Pinch fleur de sel

Few grinds black pepper

Handful freshly chopped parsley

1/2 cup milk

The mashed potatoes can be done ahead of time and reheated stovetop during the roasting waiting time. (Earth)
1.  While still hot, peel the potatoes.  Why not peel them before and avoid burning your fingers?  Well, because they lose much of their taste and nutrients when you do it that way.  Potatoes don't have many nutrients to begin with, so who cares about that.. they taste better this way, trust me.
2.  Put them in a pot off heat and mash them with a fork along with the butter, minneola juice and aïoli.
3.  At this point if you feel like using a whisk, go right ahead, but I just kept my fork and was quite happy with the result.  On low heat, add in the milk a bit at a time until they reach desired consistency.
note if making ahead:  don't use all the milk beforehand for you might need it when you reheat stovetop.
4.  Whisk in the parsley, fleur de sel, and black pepper.  Taste and make sure they are garlicky enough.  If not, add more aïoli!

Sautéed Fennel and Spinach

200g (about 1/2lb) fresh spinach, washed and dried

1 fennel bulb, sliced into moons

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 tsp aïoli

Pinch fleur de sel

Few grinds black pepper

2 Tbsp minneola juice

Get your veggie fix (Wood and Metal).
1.  Heat half the oil in a wok and add the sliced fennel until softened, then set aside.  I did this step ahead and the rest during the roasting waiting time.
2.  Heat the other half of the oil in the same wok and wilt the spinach.  You may want to do this in batches so it doesn't steam.
3.  Add the fennel back in along with the minneola juice, fleur de sel, and black pepper.
4.  Remove from heat and stir in the aïoli.

Prime Rib

450g (1 lb) côte de boeuf about 1 1/2 inch thick

Fleur de sel

Cracked black pepper

Drizzle olive oil
pinch chopped parsley

Prep your prime rib. (Fire)
1.  Rub some fleur de sel and black pepper onto each side of your lovely Côte, then massage a drizzle of olive oil onto it.  That's it fir the prepping.  Make sure it is out of the fridge for at least 10 minutes before cooking.
2.  Heat your griddle pan or BBQ on high.  Cook for 2 1/2 minutes on each side, then transfer to a 190°C 375°F oven (griddle pan and all) for another 8 minutes for medium rare.
3.  Let rest for 2-3 minutes before cutting.

Roasted Lobster

2 small North American lobsters, defrosted and halved

Squeeze of minneola (tangelo) juice

Freshly chopped parsley

2 Tbsp aïoli

Get your crust on your lobsters. (Water)
1.  Make sure you drain any liquid from the defrosted lobsters.  I don't do live lobster.  Can't kill it.  I don't mind so much with oysters or mussels, but things that walk and can look at me and scream are too hard for me to kill.  Yes, I'm a softie..
2.  Squeeze some of the minneola juice onto each half, then brush the aïoli on.  Top with fresh parsley.  As I cut my lobsters in half, I noticed one was male and one was female.  Guess who saved all the lobster roe for herself?  Teehee!
3.  Roast at 190°C 375°C for 10 minutes.  If you time this right, the lobster is the last thing you serve, so your prime rib has already rested and your sides are already served.  Get it? Yes, be efficient.

I even managed to make this balanced with the Elements.

Korean Spicy Grilled Squid -Ojingeo Tonggui

As the unexpected Stiletto evening became one with my mind, nothing could have satisfied my sea lust as this grilled squid has.
I've experimented with octopus with fabulous results, so this time I felt ready to announce to my fishmonger something a bit more exotic (compared to the experience I have with it).  I'm in great need of garlic and chile with this little cold I've been fighting since yesterday, so I decided to go Korean style with it.  I'll replicate this for guests any day.
It was perfect.
I'm sure it would be perfect with a "simpler" style of garlic, olive oil, lemon, parsley, and fleur de sel, but I wanted heat and pungency.. chile and ginger.
Yes.. is the word.

Inspired by Maangchi

Serves 1 as a main, 2-4 as an appetizer

Ingredients

2 small or 1 large squid (450g or 1 lb), cleaned and rinsed (I used shortfin red)

1-2 baby bok choy, halved

Basting sauce:

1 tsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp mustard

1 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 Tbsp dark soy sauce
juice from 1/2 lemon

2 small cloves garlic, grated

1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

1 tsp black vinegar

2 Tbsp Sriracha sauce or chile paste

Garnish:

1 Tbsp chopped green onions

1/4 tsp sesame seeds
Directions
1.  Make the basting sauce by stirring all the ingredients together.  Set aside.
2.  If your squid is small, no need to remove the skin (in my opinion).

 Slice into the long part as if to make rings, but don't cut all the way through.  Score the tentacles also.

2.  Griddle or plancha or bbq the bok choy on high, cut side down for about 1-2 minute, until charred, then turn over, baste a bit, and cook another 2-3 minutes.

3.  Place the squid, cut side up onto the hot hot griddle pan along with the tentacles.  Cook for 1 minute, then flip over and baste.

4.  Cook for another minute, then flip over and baste again, making sure the sauce gets into the neat little sensual crevices...

Serve hot.

Oh yes.. yes yes yes!!!!
Why why why have I never tried to make this before??
The best part of this is that it's remarkable quick to make.  I only had a griddle pan in the middle of freezing cold winter for 1 person, but this would be amazing on the plancha or bbq for a crowd and soo quick to cook so that everybody can enjoy a hot meal.
I've heard that "no" is powerful.. but nothing in this world is more breathtaking than a "YES!"

Griddled Octopus and Zucchini in December

Tonight is Stiletto night again.. meaning I'm listening to the Nirvana Unplugged album while having Poulpegasms.

That may sound a bit out of hand, but that is the exact description of my evening.  An evening alone, indoor barbecue-ing on my cast iron griddle pan some zucchini slices and octopus, smoking up the house and enjoying the music.. and its all for my sole lonely pleasure.

So no, I'm not watching Pulp Fiction in English (although next time, I SOOO will be watching Pulp Fiction in English because I just remembered that I own that DVD and it's a rare occasion I get to watch my favorite cult movies in their original version.. I mean seriously.. Austin Powers is retarded in French).  That was a very very long parentheses.

Ha.

So poulpe is octopus, and today I hit pay dirt.  I actually cooked it correctly compared to last time, although it still blew my mind that first time.  The thing that made this event such an event is that I made summer happen in December.  Yes, this is traditionally summer fare.  Zucchini is not in season (unless it comes from Spain apparently) but I really don't care.  I wanted something bbq-ish and this poulpe hit the exact spot that had been hiding from me for quite some time.

Serves 1 (yes.. didn't I mention it was Stiletto night?)

Ingredients

for boiling:

2 small fresh octopi (poulpes), cleaned

1 clove smashed garlic

1 small handful celery stalk pieces

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp chile powder

1/4 tsp coarse sea salt

3-4 cups water

for griddling:

1 zucchini, sliced lengthwise into approximately 7mm thickness

1 + 1 clove garlic, grated

few pinches fleur de sel

drizzles of chile infused olive oil (or olive oil with some pepper flakes)

pinches of ground pepper

squeezes of lemon juice

2 Tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley

for garnish:

some jarred sundries tomatoes

Directions

1.  Place the smashed garlic clove, pepper, chile powder, celery, and sea salt in a pot of water and bring to a boil.  Add the fresh octopus and boil for 25 minutes.  Remove the octopi and set aside

2.  While the boiling is happening, prepare the zucchini.  Slather onto the slices 1 of the grated garlic cloves with a few pinches fleur de sel and ground pepper.  Drizzle some of the spiced olive oil onto each slice.

3.  Bust out the griddle pan (or if it's actually summer and not raining, the bbq or plancha).  Griddle the slices for about 4 minutes on each side or until the slices have grill marks, are cooked, but still have a slight crunch.  I can't technically describe this, but it is the best way to enjoy zucchini.  It makes zucchini the king of all vegetables when cooked this way.  I also had a Zucchinigasm... did I mention that?

Set aside the zucchini slices. 

4.  Once the octopus is finished boiling (and it should be nice and tender) toss with the other clove of grated garlic, some pepper, lemon juice, parsley, and more of that spiced olive oil.

5.  Slap that octopus on the griddle for about 2 minutes on each side.  Don't overdo the grilling here.  The tenderness will become tough if you lose your focus.. so FOCUS please.

Serve with some sundried tomatoes from a jar and then try to figure out a pretty way to capture all the pleasure running through your body.

I hesitated on the photo because I plated it a bunch of different ways.  In the lead photo it looks like a salad, but it was actually warm/hot and orderly at first.

See?  It's steaming.

Anyway, I ended up mixing it around to find the most pleasurable way to enjoy it and eventually came to the conclusion that the tentacles needed to be separated and the zucchini cut into sections, then all of it tossed around with the sundried tomatoes from a summery jar.
The happiest ending to this Stiletto evening would be a few scoops of that Piment d'Espelette ice cream I've been saving.
Oooh!

Back home from Marseille Plancha

When I'm out of town all week for work, I usually want to cook up a storm upon returning home.. except I usually don't have anything in the fridge.. and this time I couldn't really go shopping "for real" because I'm going to be out of town for work all month and home only on the weekends.

What an excellent excuse for plancha!!

Of course I bought way more than 2 people could eat in one sitting, but it's mostly the pleasure of cooking it that makes me feel right at home.  Sardines and giant squid tentacle.  Oooh tentacles!

But home now includes sardines, which is typical Marseille fare... but to be fair, mine were from the Atlantic instead of the Mediterranean.  I usually do Med sardines because everyone says they're the best, but these Atlantic ones were meaty and more flavorful than I remember the Meds to be...

So.. cheers to the atlantic!  There will no longer be a superiority complex between your fruits and those of that minuscule little sea called the Mediterranean!

The sardines were lightly olive oiled, fleur de sel'd, piment d'espeletted and peppered before going ton the plancha at 300°C for about 2 minutes on each side.

The tentacles had the same seasoning as the sardines plus some lime juice, grated garlic and about 1 Tbsp grated ginger.  I don't know why ginger came out to play, but she is always welcome.
The tentacles went for about 5 minutes total, rotating regularly to get an even grill on each side, then sliced into rounds.
Ahhh it feels so nice to be home.. I'm savoring it..

Bass and Salmon on the Plancha

Today was an eventful day...and I topped it off with some mega plancha activity.

As much as I like grilling meat, nothing quite rivals with fish, seafood, and veggies on the plancha.  Something about this cooking method brings out the best in those chosen ones.

It's all quite simple.. all you need is a theme.  My theme is usually olive oil, garlic, lime, and piment d'espelette.  Sometimes I'll add some orange or herbs, but that's basically how it goes.. I rub it into all the crevices of the bass, then grill it at medium temperature for about 5-7 minutes on each side until the flesh is flaky.

The salmon just needs a quick 2 minute sear on each side after being rubbed with my marinade, some fleur de sel and some pepper.

The veggies I chose this time were onions, yellow bell, zucchini, and green chili.  This mix also received a few teaspoons of the family marinade, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar during cooking time.

I grilled some already steamed potatoes as well, which was a nice addition to all this goodness.

There are times when you try to identify period of time that made you feel the most.. yourself.

These past 2 weeks were exactly that for me..

Octopus and Mussels on the Plancha

I'm not sure there are enough words to express all that I have experienced today from first sight to the tips of my fingers to my eyes to my tongue to the deepest pleasure of life available to "normal" people..to the actual pleasure I really enjoyed.
I've been wanting to try cooking octopus for a very very long time now, but it was never the right "moment" according to some.. and I was almost certain that the day I would finally go specifically buy octopus, there wouldn't be any.
These little ladies are fresh, fished from the Mediterranean.  They are not very big, and the fish monger cleaned them, removed the ink sac and the "plume" or bone and separated the head from the body for me.  She said they didn't need much time on the plancha, but didn't tell me anything about boiling.  After some research and seeing with my consultant, I decided to boil, but I completely stressed out because everywhere you look on the internet tells you to do something different to tenderize, and some don't boil at all.  It really all comes down to the size and if it is fresh or frozen.  A big octopus will need to be boiled 45 minutes to 1 hour.. a baby one will not at all, a medium one (like mine) will need 20 to 30 minutes.  My stubborn self was afraid to overcook it, so I didn't listen to the voice on my shoulder.
It was still the most amazing experience.  I enjoyed the texture and taste, especially after being massaged in that lovely olive oil and orange and lime juice.

 Raw fresh octopus.. count the 8 tentacles...I'm sorry lady, but I had to lift up your skirt to check out your inner beauty..

 Submerged in boiling water, pepper, anis bulbs, and kosher salt for 10 minutes..in hindsight, I should have made that 20.  The boiling part is to tenderize it.   Since my octo was fresh, it was more tough than if it had been frozen and thawed.  I will listen to the wise ones next time.

 Octopus, tossed in lime, olive oil, garlic, piment d'espelette, fleur de sel, cracked black pepper, flat leaf parsley with all its friends.. zucchini, eggplant, and onion in the same goodness plus a squizzle of orange..
The mussels are just cleaned.  Their seasoning will go on once they are open.
Do you see that little red bottle in the back?  That is spanish olive oil in spray form specifically for the plancha.  My angels are always looking out for me.  That little bottle works wonders.  I love it.

I had no idea this picture was being taken, but I do look very concentrated on the task at hand.

 Happy zucchini, eggplant, and onions grilling with a squizzle of orange..

Mussels opened after about 50 seconds... then tossed with some olive oil, flat leaf parsley, grated garlic, piment d'espelette, and pepper... oh are you sensing a recurring theme here?

and finally.. the moment we've all been waiting for.. well, at least I have been waiting for this for at least 1 year..

I may have cooked these a total of 4 minutes, being sure to turn them so they get the nice grilled color on each side.

This was the culmination of my evening (not my day).  Those tentacles.. ooh!