Sorry if you’re getting an email about this post twice. Don’t WordPress after midnight, kids.
Welp, between tech for RAGTIME and Hampton going back into rehearsals for his COVID- and ice-delayed show, dinners this week were much more on the “get it done” side.
EXCEPT: octopus.
I had almost definitely never tried octopus before Hampton and now it’s one of my favorites and we order it every chance we get. On our honeymoon, we went to one restaurant in Rome two days in a row bc their pulpo e patate dish was that good… tender octopus mixed with shredded potatoes.
Despite having a sous vide [we only finally bought an Instant Pot when that version was on super sale] we have been afraid to try cooking octopus, which gets notoriously rubbery when improperly prepared. But a few weeks back, we decided to grab one of the frozen packs at our local non-Trader Joe’s and my big day off Saturday was the day.
After reading lots of recipes on Pinterest, we went with this one. 171° for five hours, followed by a sear on the grill pan was a common consensus, but I particularly loved the idea of this garlic and wine marinade. And. It. Was. Perfect.
On the side was a salad of TJ’s marinated chickpeas with artichoke hearts and cucumber. The perfect light and tangy, crunchy foil to the tender and delicately seasoned meat. All atop a bed of hash brown-esque shredded potatoes, it was almost like we were back in Rome.
Also of note this week:
— as usual, Smoke City Meats made three of our dinners extra special. Not an ad, just fans!
— lunches were leftover spaghetti squash and sautéed chicken thighs in a chipotle cream. I’ve done this recipe twice now for meal prep, the first with scrambled tofu, and it’s a warming and filling, interesting ‘til the last day, treat.
— I did not get to enjoy tonight’s steak dinner. I had a protein bar because I ran from my matinee to the first rehearsal for *drumroll please*, INTO THE WOODS with Lexington Live. I’m playing one of my all-time dream rolls, the Witch and I could not be more excited, so there’ll be lots more on this… and lots more easy dinners.
Ann Davis-Rowe 