The grocery store had chopped frozen octopus for 2 dollars a pound so I thought, why not? I found a southern Italian (Puglia) recipe for stewing the octopus and it went like this...
Here it is, a one pound pile of octopus chunks. I was skeptical at this point. Recipe called for boiling it in salty water for 2 minutes which seemed like a good start. Maybe the weirdness would burn off.
Next, saute on medium-high for 4 minutes in 4 tablespoons of Olive Oil. Add 4 cloves minced garlic and go for a minute more.
Add a cup of white wine and reduce on high for 4 minutes.
Add a can of crushed tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of honey, a teaspoon of chile flakes and a teaspoon of salt (or less). Simmer covered for 30 minutes then add 2 tablespoons of dill and 2 tablespoons of parsley and 2 tablespoons of capers. Simmer for 40 minutes more. Uncover and cook on medium for 5-10 minutes to thicken the sauce. Add 2 more tablespoons of parsley and serve with crusty bread or large pasta (penne would do nicely).
I really liked it. Delicious. Not gross at all and I can be a bit picky. The trick to good octopus is to cook it on low heat for a long time for great texture. Not chewy but a nice al dente bite.
Here it is, a one pound pile of octopus chunks. I was skeptical at this point. Recipe called for boiling it in salty water for 2 minutes which seemed like a good start. Maybe the weirdness would burn off.
Next, saute on medium-high for 4 minutes in 4 tablespoons of Olive Oil. Add 4 cloves minced garlic and go for a minute more.
Add a cup of white wine and reduce on high for 4 minutes.
Add a can of crushed tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of honey, a teaspoon of chile flakes and a teaspoon of salt (or less). Simmer covered for 30 minutes then add 2 tablespoons of dill and 2 tablespoons of parsley and 2 tablespoons of capers. Simmer for 40 minutes more. Uncover and cook on medium for 5-10 minutes to thicken the sauce. Add 2 more tablespoons of parsley and serve with crusty bread or large pasta (penne would do nicely).
I really liked it. Delicious. Not gross at all and I can be a bit picky. The trick to good octopus is to cook it on low heat for a long time for great texture. Not chewy but a nice al dente bite.
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