There’s a place on Auckland’s Dominion Rd called Gogo Music Cafe that has long been a favourite of mine. It has a western theme, inexplicably. There is a karaoke stage. Beer comes in giant, gumball-like dispensers. The service is efficient, no-nonsense. And the food is almost exclusively on skewers, cooked in front of you on a big charcoal grill along one wall of the space. It is a gorgeous time.
Skewers, in the glorious Chinese tradition – a little charred, caramelised, spicy and chewy, are a way of using up off cuts and interesting little bites, transforming them into something far greater than the term “off cut” would suggest. Not that octopus is an off cut. But they do skewer extremely well.
You want an extremely hot grill for this: charcoal, if possible. A bit of lemony aioli, perhaps, if you wanted to be all fusion about it, and you’re in business.
READ MORE:
* Recipe: Al pastor with pineapple salsa
* Recipe: Lamb koftas with spiced tomato salad and white bean puree
* Recipe: Chicken liver skewers with chimichurri
* Sam Mannering sings the praises of octopus
PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES
COOK TIME: 1 HOUR
SERVES: 6 as a nibble
Thumb’s length of fresh ginger, sliced
1 spring onion, cut into 4-5 lengths
2 tbsp soy sauce
Sesame oil
About 1kg octopus tentacles
2 tbsp cumin seeds
Chilli flakes, to taste
Sea salt, to taste
Bring a large saucepan of water up to a gentle simmer with the ginger, spring onion, soy and about a tbsp of sesame oil. Once it is bubbling away, add the octopus tentacles and leave to simmer for about 45 minutes, until the octopus is tender (use a knife to prick through the thickest end of a tentacle – if it gives easily, it is done. Take care not to let it boil over.
Drain, discarding the spring onion and ginger, and allow the octopus to cool down.
In the meantime, combine the cumin seeds with enough chilli and salt to taste. Toast gently in a dry pan, then grind into a fine-ish powder with a pestle and mortar, or in a food processor. Set aside.
Cut the tentacles into 2-3cm chunks and thread onto skewers.
Get a barbecue or hot grill going over a high heat. Charcoal is well worth the effort, if you can.
Once your grill is lovely and hot, brush the skewers with a little more sesame oil and then quickly grill on both sides until crisp, caramelised and a little charred. When they are just about done, sprinkle a little of the cumin and chilli mixture over the top of each, and continue to grill for another 30 seconds or so, until fragrant. Serve immediately.
Sunday Magazine
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