Ingredients:
· 2 pounds octopus, cleaned and patted dry
· 2 pounds potatoes, washed but unpeeled
· 1 cup white wine
· 2 bay leaves
· Handful of parsley leaves, chopped finely and 3 whole sprigs
· 1 lemon, quartered
· 1 roma tomato, rough chopped
· ½ red onion, rough chopped
· Juice of 1 lemon
· 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
· 3 ribs celery, thinly sliced
· Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
1. In a cast iron pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add octopus and brown on all sides. Add wine, bay leaves, parsley sprigs, quartered lemon, tomato, onion, salt and pepper into pot. Place lid on pot and reduce to lowest simmer for 30-45 minutes or until octopus is very tender (should not be tough which is undercooked or mushy which is overcooked).
2. Meanwhile, cover the potatoes with cold water in a second pot, and bring to a boil. Cook about 25 minutes, until just tender, then cool, peel, and cut them into 1- inch cubes. -OR- Using a pressure cooker, place 1-2 cups water and a rack into a pressure cooker. Place potatoes on rack. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Let pressure naturally release. Let potatoes cool enough to work with, then remove peels and dice.
3. Drain the octopus, discarding solids but reserving liquid from the pot.
4. Cut the tentacles away where they join the head. Clean the octopus head, which looks like a pouch the size of your fist, by squeezing out the core with your fingers, and cut the meat into thin slices. Cut the tentacles into inch long pieces.
5. Toss the octopus and potatoes together with the parsley, lemon juice, the rest of the olive oil, and the thinly sliced celery. Add a little of the octopus braising liquid if desired. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
6. Eat at room temperature or chilled.
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