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octopus OCTOPUS RECIPESoctopus

OCTOPUS IN RED WINE

this one's REALLY good...

INGREDIENTS

1kg (2.25lb) young octopus 8tbsp olive oil 350g (12oz) small onions or shallots 150ml (0.25pint) red wine 6tbsp red wine vinegar 225g (8oz) canned tomatoes, roughly chopped 2tbsp tomato puree 4 bay leaves 2 teaspoons dried oregano black pepper 2tbsp chopped parsley

DIRECTIONS

First clean the octopus. Pull off the tentacles, remove and discard the intestines and the ink sac, the eyes and the beak. Skin the octopus and wash and scrub it thoroughly to remove any traces of sand. Cut it into 4-5cm (1.5-2inch) pieces and put it into a saucepan over medium heat to release the liquid. Stir the octopus until this liquid has evaporated. Pour on the oil and stir the octopus to seal it on all sides. Add the whole onions and cook them, stirring once or twice, until they colour slightly. Add the wine, the vinegar, tomatoes, tomato puree, bay leaves, oregano and several grindings of pepper. Stir well, cover the pan and simmer very gently for 1-1.25 hrs, checking from time to time that the sauce has not dried out. If it does - and this would only happen if the heat were too high - add a little more wine or water. The octopus is cooked when it can be easily pierced with a skewer. The sauce should be thick, like a runny paste. If any of the liquid separates, remove the lid from the pan, slightly increase the heat and stir until some of the liquid evaporates and the sauce thickens. Discard the bay leaves and stir in the parsley. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve, if you like, with rice and a salad. A Greek essential is country bread to mop up the sauce.

SERVES 4-6.

PICKLED OCTOPUS

INGREDIENTS

1kg (2.25lb) young octopus about 150ml (0.25pint) olive oil about 150ml (0.25pint) red wine vinegar 4 cloves garlic salt and black pepper 4-6 stalks thyme or dried thyme lemon wedges, to serve

DIRECTIONS

Prepare and wash the octopus (as in Octopus in Red Wine). Place the head and tentacles in a pan with 6-8tbsp water, cover and simmer for 1-1.25 hours until it is tender. Test it with a skewer. Drain off any remaining liquid and set aside to cool. Cut the flesh into 12mm (0.5inch) strips and pack them loosely into a screw-topped jar. Mix enough oil and vinegar to fill the jar - the exact amount will depend on the relative volumes of the seafood and the container - stir in the garlic and season with salt and pepper. If you are using dried thyme, mix it with the liquid at this stage. Pour it over the octopus, making sure that every last piece is completely immersed. If you are using thyme stalks, push them into the jar. Cover the jar and set it aside for at least 4-5 days before using. To serve, drain the octopus and serve it on small individual plates or saucers with the lemon wedges. Cubes of at least one-day old bread, speared on cocktail sticks, are the usual accompaniment.

WARM OCTOPUS AND SWEET ONION SALAD WITH FRESH SAGE AND LEMON VINAIGRETTE

  • INGREDIENTS
  • Lemon-Sage Vinaigrette:
  • 3 cups fresh lemon juice
  • 1 shallot, coarsely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 cup olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 3 sage leaves

DIRECTIONS

Place lemon juice, shallot, garlic and honey in a medium saucepan and reduce to 1/2 cup. Place reduced syrup into a blender, add olive oil, salt and pepper and blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl and fold into the sage.

  • Sweet Onion Salad:
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 sweet onions, finely sliced
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan with sugar over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft and caramelized. Add the vinegar and cook until reduced. Season with salt and pepper.

  • Octopus:
  • 2 pounds octopus, cleaned
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons aged sherry vinegar
  • 4 wine corks
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • Chopped fresh sage and parsley, for garnish

Place the octopus, water, vinegar, corks, garlic, bay leaf and peppercorns in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until tender, about 1 1/2 hrs. Remove the octopus from the water and place on a platter lined with paper towels. Heat the grill or grill pan. Cut the octopus into pieces, brush with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and grill for 1 to 2 minutes on each side.

Assembly: Place the octopus on a platter, drizzle with the vinaigrette, top with the onion slices and sprinkle with the fresh herbs.

SERVES 4

BRAISED OCTOPUS

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 small octopus, about 1½ lbs.
  • ½ lb. finely chopped onion
  • 2 tomatoes, skinned and chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 oz pine nuts
  • 6 fresh basil leaves
  • 1 small glass white wine

PREPARATION & COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Clean the octopus.
  2. Heat oil in a saucepan and sauté the onions. When they become transparent, add the garlic and tomatoes. Cook together for a few minutes, then add the pine nuts and the octopus; cook over high heat for another 2 or 3 minutes.
  3. Pour in wine, cover pan, and simmer gently until the octopus is cooked (the small ones will cook in less than 10 minutes.
  4. Just before cooking is completed, add basil leaves and salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Serve with rice.
CURRIED OCTOPUS IN COCONUT SAUCE

INGREDIENTS:
- 1 whole fresh octopus
- coconut cream
- onion
- curry powder
- salt & pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Clean octopus removing ink sac and head
place whole octopus in a pot over medium heat, (the water from the octopus will provide liquid for cooking, wash hands after handling as some people get a rash from the octopus)
simmer until tender
dispose of the cooking water and cut the tentacles into bite size pieces
in a saucepan heat the coconut cream with the seasonings and onions and add the octopus pieces to re-heat through
serve warm.

BARBECUED OCTOPUS SALAD

Store covered in fridge (under 5°C)

Good source of: iron

Preparation time: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

  • 800 g baby octopus
  • 2 tablespoons canola or olive oil
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 tablespoon Thai sweet chilli sauce
  • 1 medium red capsicum, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice

Method:

1. Clean octopus with a small sharp knife. Cut off head, or slit open, and remove gut.
2. Pick up body, push beak up with index finger; remove and discard. Clean octopus well under running water; pat dry with paper towel.
3. Combine with oil, water and garlic. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for 1 to 2 hours.
4. Heat barbecue or grill. When hot, cook octopus for 3 to 5 minutes or until tender. Drain well on paper towel. Combine chilli sauce, pepper, coriander and lime juice in serving bowl. Add octopus and stir.
5. Serve warm or cold.
Serves: 4



FRYING BABY OCTOPUS OR SQUID

Ingredients :
1/2 kg octopus, or baby octopus
1 clove garlic
Parsley
½ lemon
Salt
oil

Recipe :
Wash the squid carefully and remove the ink. Chop into small pieces.
Sauté in a pan without fat, to obtain juices, put to one side.
Peel and chop garlic very finely.
Chop parsley.
Heat oil in a frying pan, sauté garlic and parsley until garlic is golden.
Add squid, salt and fry.
Remove from heat, sprinkle with lemon juice and serve with mayonnaise or aïoli.


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