Octopus (Edgar)

Ingredients
½ pound octopus/person
2 Tbs tomato paste
1 medium potato /person
½ medium onion/person
Garlic
Capers ½ teaspoon /person
1/8 cup red wine/person
parsley flakes
Bay Leaf
Pepper


Directions
Precook the octopus with a bay leaf and garlic. Cover with water. Bring to a boil
and simmer till soft. The water will take a brownish cast. Test for softness with a
sharp knife. Check by cutting off a piece and tasting it. This could be done a day or
two ahead of time. Store in a refrigerator with the liquid in which it was cooked.
However, you can achieve an excellent result without storing ahead of time.

When the octopus is mostly cooked, peel potatoes – one medium size/person, cut
in chunks and fry in a non-stick frying pan with olive oil till the potatoes are nicely
brown & crisp on all sides. When the potatoes are almost done add an onion & garlic
and continue frying until the onion is softened

Drain the octopus in a colander saving the liquid. Cut the octopus in bite size chunks.
And place these in the pan in which you were frying the potatoes. Add parsley,
more garlic, a small tomato or tomato paste, capers, red wine, and pepper to taste.
Use your imagination. I used the above ingredients because I found some of them
mentioned in other octopus recipes. I think plum sauce may also be a good additive.

Add enough of the reserved liquid to cover all the ingredients in the frying pan.
Cook a bit more till the amount of liquid is somewhat reduced. Taste and cook until
you achieve the consistency that pleases you.

Serve piping hot.



Comments

This dish goes well with a salad with oil & vinegar dressing.
Mark Bittman writes that this is one of the last undiscovered seafood’s in this
country. Most is caught off our shores and then shipped frozen to Europe where
they have the graciousness to send some of it back. The best meal on our last trip
to the Adriatic was octopus and that is what inspired me to cook this as a surprise
dinner for Eva.

If you purchase the octopus frozen, defrost it in the refrigerator or cold water. Octopus freezes
well.