Market Day: Octopus

They say curiosity kills the cat, but today I just couldn't help myself! As we walked past the fish section of the Farmer's Market, I happened to glance over and see a big bag of... octopus! The wheels in my brain started turning and I got my dad to buy the 3 lb. bag for $6.oo. Having no former experience on octopus cookery, and craving something Mediterranean, I skimmed through some recipes until I found something simple, yet garlicky and delicious sounding. What I came up with was white wine infused, octopus stew.

Italian Octopus Stewed in Wine and Tomatoes

Ingredients:
2 1/2 lb octopus
4 Tbs. olive oil
9 cloves finely chopped garlic
2 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes
2 cups white wine
4 Tbs. honey

3/4 tsp. chopped fresh dill (4 finger pinch)
1 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley (4 finger pinch)
1 tsp. crushed red pepper

½ jalapeño pepper
2 tsp. capers (optional)
2 tsp. salt

Preparation:

• Bring a large pot of salty water to a boil. Allow the octopus to thaw if necessary, toss it into the boiling water, and cook for 1-2 minutes, then remove. Discard water.
• Cut the octopus into large pieces and sauté in olive oil over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. (Juices from the octopus will accumulate to the point where you will have to drain it out and add more olive oil- only do this once.) Add the chopped garlic and sauté for another minute or two.
• Add the wine and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir well and let it cook down for 3-4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, crushed red pepper flakes and the jalapeño pepper and bring to a simmer.
• Add the salt and the honey. Mix well, and let the uncovered pan simmer for 10 minutes. After the 10 minutes, cover the pan and let simmer for 30 minutes.
• At 30 minutes, add the capers if you are using them(I didn’t), plus the dill and parsley and let simmer for a few more minutes.
• Check the octopus -- sometimes small ones will be tender in just 30 minutes. If they are still super-chewy, cover the pot again and simmer for up to another 5 minutes.
• Eat this with pasta and/or bread. I know octopus sounds funky, but trust me, you’ll love this!!