Octopus Luau Food

LUAU STEW WITH PORK

Steps:

• Prepare the luau leaves. Wash the leaves very thoroughly. Chop off and discard the stems. Chop the leaves into 1" ribbons. Set aside.
• Toss the cubes of pork shoulder with a teaspoon of salt. Set aside.
• In a large pot, add oil, and turn to medium-high heat. Add the pork in a single layer and brown evenly on all sides. Remove the pork and set aside on a plate. Pour out any excess oil from the pot.
• Add the sliced onions and minced ginger to the pot. Turn heat down to medium and cook until the onions are translucent.
• Put all the luau leaves over the onions and ginger. Put the browned pork over the luau leaves. Add a half-cup of water to the pot. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat down to low and cook for 1 hour (more or less time depending on how tender your luau leaves are).
• Check on the stew every 15 minutes, give it a stir. The pork will begin to break down - you can shred it into smaller pieces with chopsticks (that's how we like to eat it), or leave them as larger chunks.
• Season to taste with salt. Some people also like to add shoyu, but that is up to you. Serve hot with rice and all the other good Hawaiian dishes. Don't forget the chili pepper water!

SQUID LUAU

Steps:

• If you have sensitive hands, use gloves to protect from the leaves' calcium oxalate. Rinse the leaves then remove the stems from the luau leaves. If you want to include the stems, peel off the fibrous parts of the stem and cut into 1-2 inch pieces. Then trim the pointy parts of the leaves.
• Cut the leaves into smaller pieces by stacking 3-5 leaves at a time. Tightly roll it up. Chop it into thin strips and cut it again in the opposite direction.
• In a large pot, add in enough water to boil all of the leaves. Add in the Hawaiian salt and luau leaves. Bring the pot to a simmer the cover it. Let it simmer for one hour to an hour and a half.
• Remove the feeler tentacle. Separate the head and the body from each other by gently tugging each other apart. When pulling it apart, the innards will come out, which you can discard. Remove the squid's cartilage and skin from the head and discard. Rip off the two flaps from the head and set aside. Slide your finger down the outside of the head's tube to remove any more remaining guts. Flip the tube inside out to clean it more thoroughly. Flip it outside again and set aside. Cut below the eyes and remove the beak if it's with part of the tentacle body.
• Cut the head and tentacles into smaller bite sized pieces. Set aside
• After the leaves have cooked, drain it in a colander. Press down on the leaves to drain any remaining leaves.
• Melt the butter in a pot. Saute the onions and squid until the onions are translucent.
• Add in the leaves, sugar, salt, and coconut milk. Mix it well and bring it to a simmer. Cover and let is cook for 30 minutes stirring occasionally.
• Serve it hot and enjoy!

OCTOPUS SALAD

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add 1 smashed garlic clove and cook 30 seconds. Add 3/4 pound cooked octopus tentacles (sliced 1/2 inch thick) and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in 2 teaspoons chopped oregano and 1/2 teaspoon each kosher salt and pepper. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with 1 thinly sliced carrot, 1 thinly sliced celery stalk, 1 diced red bell pepper, 1 minced small shallot and 2 tablespoons lemon juice.

A LUAU

Steps:

• The idea of building a pit to cook is as old as time. What you cook can be as complicated or as easy as you want, and its size can be whatever the labor force allows--a much better usage for bob a job week than ruining the paintwork on your car. Suggestions for food to cook are ears of corn, potatoes, fish fillets wrapped in foil with butter and seasoning, chops or sausages wrapped in foil, clams, mussels, or lobsters. Use your imagination and experiment.
• 1. Drive 4 posts into the ground to delineate a rectangular area about 5 by 8 feet. Dig out to a depth of 18 inches, banking the sand around the edges.
• 2. Line the pit with smooth, dry pebbles or bricks.
• 3. Start a small fire on top of the stones in the middle and gradually add logs until you fill the whole pit.
• 4. Keep the fire stoked for at least an hour, then allow to burn down for another hour to ensure the stones are properly heated.
• 5. Carefully rake the embers from the pit without disturbing the stones.
• 6. As quickly as possible, spread well-rinsed seaweed or non-poisonous green leaves over the stones in a layer about 6 inches deep.
• 7. Lay the prepared food in a single layer on top of the seaweed.
• 8. Spread a 6 inch layer of seaweed over the food. Make sure the food is completely covered.
• 9. Cover with a tarp that extends at least 12 inches beyond the sides of the pit. Weigh down the edges with stones. Let the food cook for at least 3 hours.

OCTOPUS ALLA KARVOUNA (CHARCOAL-GRILLED OCTOPUS)

Steps:

• For the pickled red onion: Slice the red onion into 1/8-inch strips and place in a large, heat-safe container. Bring the rice vinegar and sugar to a boil, stirring on occasion, until the sugar is completely dissolved, then turn off the heat. Let the liquid cool for 5 minutes, then pour the mixture into the container with the onions and let cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate. When the onions turn bright pink and fluffy, they are ready (4 to 24 hours).
• Octopus preparation: Spread out the octopus on a cutting board and cover completely with plastic wrap. Tenderize the octopus with a mallet, starting from the middle body extending down the tentacles. Transfer to a pan and lightly sprinkle the baking soda over both sides of the octopus, then let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
• Poaching liquid: In a 10-quart pot, add 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, wine and wine cork, peppercorns, bay leaves, garlic, lemons and 6 to 8 cups water. (The water line should be around 1 inch above the octopus once dropped into the pot.)
• Cooking the octopus: Bring the poaching liquid to just about a simmer, 180 to 190 degrees F. Rinse the resting octopus in the sink to remove the excess baking soda. Transfer the octopus to the pot and continue to simmer until the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees F, 60 to 70 minutes.
• Breaking down the octopus: Place the octopus on a cutting board, and separate each tentacle from the body using a knife. Using the back of the knife, gently remove the gelatinous skin from each tentacle. (If your knife skills are limited, you can use paper towels and gently wipe the skin from the tentacles.)
• Grilling the octopus: Light your back patio grill and bring it up to 450 to 500 degrees F. Lightly cover the octopus tentacle in 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Place on the grill and sear, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Pull off the grill and let rest for a few minutes. Meanwhile, build the accompaniment salad by tossing the arugula with some pickled red onions, the remaining teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.
• Plating: On a clean cutting board, place the grilled octopus and slice the tentacles into 1-inch pinwheels. Arrange on a plate. Drizzle with some cabernet vinegar and Picual olive oil, then sprinkle with the herbs. To finish the plate, add a small handful of the dressed greens, and enjoy.