Polpo alla luciana
Santa Lucia Style Stewed Octopus
Ingredients
- 1 kilo 2 lbs octopus pre-cleaned
- 500g 1 lb cherry tomatoes cut in halvses or quarters
- 2-3 cloves garlic peeled and slightly crushed
- 1-2 dried hot red peppers
- 1 handful capers preferably packed in salt, rinsed
- 1 handful black olives preferably of the Gaeta variety
- 2-3 sprigs fresh parsley finely minced
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a large pot, preferably of terracotta, sauté the garlic cloves, along with the red pepper and the stems of the parsley sprigs, in the olive oil over moderate heat for just a few moments, until the garlic begins to give off its aroma.
- Now add the octopus, head down, and cover. Let the octopus simmer over gentle heat for about 15 minutes.
- Uncover the pot. The octopus should have given off a fair amount of liquid. Pour the tomatoes, olives and capers and re-cover tightly. (You can use some parchment paper or aluminum foil to create a better seal if you like.) Simmer the octopus gently until tender, about 30-45 minutes.
- Mix in the minced parsley leaves, give the pot a turn, and let it sit for five minutes.
- Serve your polpo alla luciana warm, with a nice chunk of crusty bread to soak up those delicious juices.