Necessary
a 1.5 Kg (3 lb) octopus*
1 Kg (2 lb) potatoes
1 clove garlic
salt
parsley
pepper, possibly in whole grains
olive oil
pressure cooker, possibly, if you promise you won’t kill yourself with it
[*] According to my father, the real octopus has two arrays of suction cups on each tentacle, and a beak. If the animal you got ain’t got a beak, or too few suction cups, they have cheated you. But you’ll be fine.
Preparation
Gut the octopus and remove the beak. Put it in the open pressure cooker. Cover it with water, add in the garlic and four whole grains of pepper and some salt. Pressure cook for 40 minutes (less for smaller octopodes). Depressurize and open the pot. If the “meat” looks like you’d wanna eat it, you are done, otherwise do another 10 minutes of pressure cooking. Let it cool down, water and all. Do not drain the precious liquid in the pot!
Meanwhile, cook the potatoes until they are soft but still in shape (I appeal to your taste and your common sense). Cut them into cubes. Extract the octopus from the broth and cut it into cubes as well. Mix. Season with raw oil, pepper, salt, parsley, and further cool in the fridge. Serve cold.
If you don’t have a pressure cooker or you don’t feel like using one, cook the octopus in a common pot with the lid on for twice as long (about 1h 20′). Make sure you are not losing water and the octopus is always covered by water! Do not be afraid to add water if necessary.
The octopus broth can be used to make a delicious fish risotto alone or with shrimp as in this recipe.
© Mattia Landoni 14-Jan-2010.
