Octopus with Garlic - Polipi Veraci All'Aglio
Submitted by Sonnycindy
Polipi Veraci all’Aglio is Italian braised octopus with crushed garlic, cumin, bay leaf, and olive oil, slow-cooked in a sealed earthenware dish until tender. Finished with rosemary, parsley, and green pepper.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
30COOK
READY
This is Southern Italian cooking at its most elemental. Whole octopus gets beaten to tenderize the fibers, washed until snow-white, then sealed inside an earthenware dish with olive oil, crushed garlic, bay leaf, and cumin seeds. No water added. The octopus cooks in its own juices over very low heat for up to two hours, braising itself tender in a fragrant, garlicky oil.
The sealed dish is everything. Waxed paper or foil tied tightly over the top traps steam so the octopus essentially poaches in the moisture it releases. That liquid becomes part of the serving broth.
Once tender, the octopus gets drained and dressed with fresh olive oil, rosemary, parsley, salt, and chopped green pepper. Simple, bright, and clean.
Chef Tips
- Beat the octopus firmly against a cutting board before cooking. This breaks down the muscle fibers and is the difference between tender and rubbery.
- Wash thoroughly under running water until the flesh turns white. Any residual slime will cloud the braising liquid.
- Keep the heat genuinely low. If the oil starts sizzling or sputtering, it’s too hot. You want a gentle, barely bubbling simmer.
- Cooking time varies by size. Smaller octopus may be done in an hour; larger ones need closer to two.
Variations
- Add sliced potatoes to the dish during the last 30 minutes for a one-pot meal.
- Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice and red pepper flakes for a brighter, spicier take.
- Serve cold as an antipasto, sliced thin and drizzled with the braising oil.
Ingredients
Directions
Cut out the eyes and mouth of the octopus.
Remove the ink sac and internal bone.
Cut off the tough points in the tentacles.
Put each octopus on a board and beat them well to break the fibers and make the meat more tender.
Wash them in running water until they are very white; do not dry but put them in an earthen- ware dish and season with oil, flavored with garlic, bay leaf and cumin seeds.
Cover the dish tightly with a sheet of waxed paper or foil tied around the top with string.
Put the dish over a very low heat between 1 and 2 hours, according to the size of the octopus.
When they are tender, drain them, season with additional oil, salt, green pepper, rosemary leaves and parsley.
Serve in a tureen.
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