Octopus with Potatoes

Ingredients

• Octopus 1½ kg
• Potato 25 oz
• Sweet Pepper 2 pieces
• Onion 2 heads
• Carrot 2 pieces
• Marinated cherries 5 oz
• Basil 3 sprigs
• Rosemary 1 sprig
• Olives stuffed with lemon 0 oz
• Capers 0 oz
• Pesto to taste
• Butter 5 oz
• Vegetable Oil 0 fl oz
• Olive Oil 5 fl oz
• Bay leaf 5 pieces
• Allspice berries 5 pieces
• Garlic 4 cloves
• Ocean salt to taste
• Salt to taste
• Ground Black Pepper to taste

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1

Prepare all the ingredients. Place the octopus in a large bowl, drizzle with some olive oil, add coarse salt, and massage the entire body well. The massage should take between 20 to 40 minutes; this is necessary to ensure the octopus is tender. Rinse the octopus after the massage.

Step 2

Peel the onion and carrot, then cut them into large pieces.

Step 3

In a skillet, heat vegetable oil, then add allspice, bay leaves, carrots, and onions. Sauté until golden brown for 3–4 minutes.

Step 4

In a large pot, bring water to a boil, add salt (2–3 grams per 1 liter), and toss in the vegetables.

Step 5

Take the octopus by the head and submerge it in boiling broth for a few seconds, then lift it out and repeat this several times. This is done to help the tentacles curl beautifully.

Step 6

Then submerge the octopus completely, reduce the heat, and simmer for 2 hours over low bubbles.

Step 7

While the octopus is cooking, prepare the side dish. Layer several sheets of foil with potatoes, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, add rosemary, and wrap it up. Place it in the oven preheated to 390°F for 1 hour.

Step 8

Drizzle the peppers with olive oil, sprinkle with a little salt, and place them in the oven for 20 minutes.

Step 9

Place the peppers in a bag for 20 minutes, then peel off their skin and remove the seeds.

Step 10

Transfer the peppers to a small saucepan, add a little salt and pepper, and 15 ml of olive oil. Place over medium heat and warm them to evaporate any excess moisture. This will take about 5 minutes.

Step 11

Blend the peppers until smooth. Cover with foil to prevent it from cooling too much.

Step 12

Cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Finely chop 2 cloves of garlic. Roughly chop the basil.

Step 13

Remove the potatoes from the oven and gently press them with the flat bottom of a glass or jar.

Step 14

In a skillet, heat 30 grams of butter and fry the potatoes until golden brown on both sides. Add 2 whole cloves of garlic, crushed on a cutting board.

Step 15

Cut the cooked octopus into tentacles, place them on a baking sheet, season with salt to taste, brush with softened butter, and bake in the oven for 10 minutes at the same temperature of 390°F. The octopus head can also be roasted alongside the tentacles or frozen to be added later, for example, to a fish soup.

Step 16

In a skillet, heat vegetable oil and sauté the chopped garlic for 15 seconds. Add cherry tomatoes, capers, and olives. Simmer everything together over medium heat for 5–7 minutes.

Step 17

Add 40 grams of butter and 100 ml of octopus broth. Stir until emulsified.

Step 18

On a large plate, arrange the potatoes and fill the gaps with pepper puree and pesto sauce. Place the octopus on top, then add chopped basil to the cherry and caper sauce, drizzling this sauce over the octopus.

Step 19

Serve immediately.