Guest Blogger: the Husband is getting the hang of it!

Shhhhhh, don’t say anything, but I think I like cooking!

In my ongoing quest to make the most out of a lost wager, (frickin’ Wesley Snipes) I chose to explore the world of the sea. No more meat with feet for me, only the best the ocean has to offer. Well, sort of…is chorizo from the sea? Better check on that one.

Octopus Stew! My office mate just so happens to have been a restaurant consultant for many years in the city. Ever heard of the Spice Market? Yeah, that was her. So it hit me one day. Um, she might have a great receipt or two. Ya think?

“Hey Kim, I lost this bet with my wife and I have to cook 7 dinners at my house. What do you love to cook at your place?” After a sizable pause, “Um, I don’t really cook much.” What?! How does that work? Turns out, the hubby is the cook in the family. Who knew?!? Not to worry, Mrs. Kim flipped open ye olde cellular telephone and dialed up the man. After a very touching conversation, out popped the following:

OCTOPUS STEW*
courtesy of Gary Maurer

Ingredients:

1 link andouille or chorizo sausage, cut in half moons
Half medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Crushed red pepper (optional, to taste)
3 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped
½ cup white wine
¾ cup water or shrimp or fish stock (just no meat)
1 cup tomatoes (crushed or chopped with juices
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Handful parsley, chopped
½ lb. baby octopus or squid, cleaned and cut into bite-size pieces

Add sausage to large sauce pan over med-high heat and cook through.

Remove from pan (careful not to cook too long as it will become hard as a rock)

Without draining rendered fat, add onion, garlic, and crushed red pepper, if desired. Cook in fat until soft.

Add rosemary and wine and let it reduce by half.

Add stock and tomatoes. Put sausage back in and add salt to taste. Check the consistency – it should be brothy, not thick tomato sauce. Add water if it’s too thick.

Add chick peas and parsley. Add octopus. Cook covered for 3-4 minutes.

Serve in shallow bowls or plates drizzled with olive oil. Make sure to have crusty bread on hand to soak up the juices.

The only change I made to the above was to use squid in place of octopus. Other than that, I did it just like the man said. And in the spirit of all the Food Network chefs, I did good, my meal rocked!

Eat, drink, and get your recipes from a husband

* Laura’s Note: Adam wrote the text above, but I did heavy editing to the recipe so that it made better sense to everyone. This is really a phenomenal recipe because you can create enormous variations on the theme. Adam and I agreed that we could do this in summer with shrimp in place of the squid and cilantro in place of the parsley. Instead of bread, serve with tortilla chips. Local store doesn’t have squid or octopus? Experiment with another meaty fish (but watch the cooking time – you might need more than 3-4 minutes). What about pancetta in place of the sausage? Have fun with this one!