Octopus with potatoes (Polpo e patate)

Octopus with potatoes (Polpo e patate) | Seafood recipes
Octopus with potatoes (Polpo e patate) | Seafood recipes

Octopus with potatoes (Polpo e patate)

I was in Italy for a few days and I took the chance to prepare one of my favourite seafood dishes and I asked my mum for permission to make a mess in her kitchen and, of course, for her support when taking the photographs.
Octopus with potatoes is something that you can have as main dish when eaten in quantity or as a taster before serving a fish course. Accompanying it with a glass of chilled white wine will make your meal wonderful. This dish can be consumed tepid or cold.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 5
Calories 650 kcal
Italian Apron
Serving bottles
Classic Italian Cooking

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Ingredients
 

  • 1.5 kilograms (2.2 lb – 3.3 lb) Octopus
  • 4 Potatoes (medium size)
  • 1 Carrot (medium size)
  • 1 Celery stalk (medium size)
  • 1/2 Onion
  • 230 ml (8 fl oz) White wine (a full glass)
  • A small handful of flat leaf parsley (finely chopped)
  • Salt and extra virgin olive oil for seasoning

Instructions

  • Ask your fishmonger to clean the octopus so that at home you only need to give it a good rinse under fresh water. I suggest you check “octopus preparation”, featured in the top tips section of the website, where you can find some good tips on how to clean an octopus and how to tenderise its meat.
    Octopus with potatoes (Polpo e patate) | Seafood recipes
  • When the octopus is ready for cooking, put it into a large pan.
    Octopus with potatoes (Polpo e patate) | Seafood recipes
  • Add the carrot, the celery and the half onion to the pan and then pour the wine over.
    Octopus with potatoes (Polpo e patate) | Seafood recipes
  • Fill the pan with water to cover.
    Octopus with potatoes (Polpo e patate) | Seafood recipes
  • Put the pan onto the cooker and boil until the octopus is tender. A rough guide is to boil for 1 hour for each kilogram of octopus, but this generally applies only if you have properly tenderised the octopus meat before boiling.
    Octopus with potatoes (Polpo e patate) | Seafood recipes
  • Do not forget to season the water with salt before the boiling starts (just a couple of pinches).
    Octopus with potatoes (Polpo e patate) | Seafood recipes
  • Halfway through the boiling time you can turn the octopus over and continue boiling. When you think it is time to remove the octopus from the pan, try to cut one of the tentacles with a knife. If the tentacle is tender and easy to cut, then turn the cooker off and let the octopus cool down enough to handle it.
    Octopus with potatoes (Polpo e patate) | Seafood recipes
  • During the boiling, the octopus skin will turn to a purple colour. Remove the main loose bits with your hands, in order to uncover most of the white meat.
    Octopus with potatoes (Polpo e patate) | Seafood recipes
  • Now, the octopus is ready for the final stages.
    Octopus with potatoes (Polpo e patate) | Seafood recipes
  • While the octopus is boiling, peel the potatoes.
    Octopus with potatoes (Polpo e patate) | Seafood recipes
  • Put the potatoes into a pan and boil them for about 15-20 minutes or until they are tender. You can use the microwave if you prefer; this way the potatoes will contain less water.
    Octopus with potatoes (Polpo e patate) | Seafood recipes
  • When the potatoes are ready, slice them.
    Octopus with potatoes (Polpo e patate) | Seafood recipes
  • Chop the parsley.
    Octopus with potatoes (Polpo e patate) | Seafood recipes
  • Now, that everything is ready, chop the octopus into pieces. You can cut the tentacles into small discs.
    Octopus with potatoes (Polpo e patate) | Seafood recipes
  • Add the sliced potatoes.
    Octopus with potatoes (Polpo e patate) | Seafood recipes
  • Add the chopped parsley.
    Octopus with potatoes (Polpo e patate) | Seafood recipes
  • Use a generous sprinkling of extra virgin olive oil. Some people also like to add a few drops of vinegar, but this is to your personal taste.
    Octopus with potatoes (Polpo e patate) | Seafood recipes
  • Finally, season with salt and serve it.
    Octopus with potatoes (Polpo e patate) | Seafood recipes
Italian Apron
Serving bottles
Classic Italian Cooking

Nutrition

Calories: 650kcal
Keyword Seafood
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Published
Categorised as Seafood

By Federico

Federico Pezzaioli is an ex-badass Italian Paratrooper on a mission - to make creating delicious authentic Italian food really easy. He researches, writes and photographs each recipe with the same attention to detail he used to apply to packing his parachute.

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