This cephalopod was on the agenda. He came cleaned and
frozen from Hulls Seafood in Ormond Beach. They're just South of us by 45
miles, a spectacular drive, evocative of another time. Get off of 95 South at
Old Dixie Highway. That takes you through Tomoka State Park, twenty miles of
Florida jungle, palms, waterways, mangroves. The road is a tree tunnel through
old oaks that reach across the road in an embrace, draped heavily with Spanish
Moss, all hung by nature and the Gods. A shaded hollow through the trees with
sunlight blasting through intermittently, stinging eyes as it breaks through
the canopy. A million light bulbs flashing in your face as you drive. Then, quickly,
you're out in coastal suburbia. Go to the light take a right. Hulls is on the
right. They have a restaurant and a seafood market side by side. It's a family
thing. They've been doing it for years, they catch it on their own boats and
fix it for you in the restaurant or sell it in the store. All fresh and local,
as it should be.
This octopus was five pounds, a frozen ball that cooks down
to less than half that size. Caught live, immediately dispatched to octopus
nirvana, cleaned and flash frozen. Six dollars. Great deal. I thaw it in the
refrigerator for a day, rinse and cover with brine and herbs in a large pot.
Let it rest for another day or two. Take it out, dry it off, slather it with
olive oil and throw it on a hot grill for a few minutes, just to get the grill
marks. By itself with only a sprinkle of salt & pepper or maybe sliced up
on top of a fresh Greek Salad, it’s hard to beat.
It’s so damn delicious, easy and affordable…one of the many
reasons we love living here in St Augustine…
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