Port Poached Pears

by Chef Amy Sampson

1 bottle port (750 ml), ruby or tawny depending on personal preference
4 cups water
2 cups sugar
peel of an orange
peel of a lemon
cinnamon stick
2 cloves
˝ vanilla bean, split and scraped
8-12 small seckle or forelle pears, peeled

Combine all ingredients except pears in a large heavy bottomed pot. Bring to a boil. Add pears. Reduce to a simmer. Cover with cheesecloth. Cook until tender, stirring occasionally. When ready, your nail should easily be able to prick the flesh. Remove pears with a slotted spoon to a storage container and pour enough poaching liquid to cover. Refrigerate over night or up to one week. Reduce the remaining liquid to a syrup and use as an accompaniment to the pears. Before serving, use a small melon baller to remove the core of the pear. Serve with vanilla ice cream or mascarpone sweetened with honey and vanilla, and the syrup from the poaching liquid.

Octopus

baby octopus grilled over hardwood charcoal, grilled frisee, saffron aioli

Ingredients For Octopus:

Ingredients for Aioli

4 whole baby octopus  2 egg yolks
2 750 mL bottles red wine  1/2 tsp saffron bloomed in warm water
2 carrots peeled and roughly chopped  1/4 cup lemon juice
1 onion roughly chopped  14 oz canola oil
2 stalks celery roughly chopped  salt & pepper to taste
2 bay leaves
3 sprigs thyme
2 wine corks

Ingredients For Octopus Marinade (after cooking):

1/2 tsp chili flakes
2 T fresh chopped thyme
1 T fresh chopped rosemary
1/4 c. olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Ingredients For Frisee Lettuce

2 heads of frisee cleaned with dark top removed
2 T olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

To Clean Octopus

1. split octopus in half length wise
2. remove the beak in the center and the eyes just above

Method To Cook Octopus:

1. In a medium to large sauce pot, bring wine, vegetables and herbs to a boil, then turn down to a simmer.
2. Add the corks and then the octopus
3. Cook for 45 minutes or until tender
4. Remove from liquid and cool.
5. Once cooled, marinate the octopus and then refridgerate for up to two days.

Method To Aioli:

1. In a large mixing bowl whisk eggs
2. Slowly whisk in oil to begin creating the emulsion
3. Whisk in lemon juice and then saffron and a touch of water
4. Continue adding oil until completely emulsified

To Assemble:

1. Have grill already hot
2. Place marinated octopus on grill and cook on all sides for 4 minutes
3. Grill the frisee lettuce for two minutes, until slightly wilted
4. On a ten inch plate, place frisee in the middle and drizzle aioli around the perimeter

Place octopus on top of frisee and serve.