OCTOPUS SLOW-COOKED OCTOPUS WITH EGGPLANT & TOMATO

If you’ve watched the documentary My Octopus Teacher, which records the relationship between a free-diving South African filmmaker and an octopus, then you may never (like many of my friends) want to eat octopus again. Those of us that like eating cephalopods will no doubt continue to do so when the opportunity arises.

Delicately flavoured octopus makes for delicious eating, but it does need a little care to soften the tough collagen to become tender. There are a number of different methods to achieve this but the easiest, and the one that I’ve found that gives the most consistent results, is a twice-cooked method. Simply cook the octopus in water at a bare simmer with whatever aromatics you choose to use, cool in the cooking liquid, then cook again using your preferred method. It can be hard to find fresh octopus (it’s only ever caught as bycatch and tends to be used as bait, which is a great shame) but this is one of the few situations where buying frozen is an advantage as the freezing helps to break down some of that collagen. This method will work for any size octopus, although you may need to adjust the cooking time.

COOKING OCTOPUS

1 octopus, fresh or defrosted a few bay leaves

1 onion

There is no getting over the fact that octopodes are slimy, but I find that for the most part you can omit removing the beak (the hard piece where the tentacles meet) and eyes until after it is cooked and cooled. However you do need to remove and discard the innards from the head. If you are buying from a fishmonger then this may have been done for you, otherwise cut off the head, remove and discard the innards and clean. Also, make sure that the tentacle suckers are clean – you can remove the skin if you wish, although I often don’t bother unless it comes off easily.

Cover with just enough water. Add the aromatics and bring up to a gentle simmer. You shouldn’t need to add salt to the pan as the octopus is naturally salty. To keep the octopus submerged, you may need to put a small plate or bowl on top. Cook gently for 20-40 minutes (or sometimes a little longer), checking occasionally. When ready, a sharp knife inserted into the base of the tentacles should go in easily with just a little resistance. Remove from the heat and cool in the liquid. Refrigerate until required for up to 3 days.

SERVES 4-6 / PREPARATION 15 MINUTES / COOKING 45 MINUTES

Richly coloured and deeply flavoured, this braise is great to eat warm or at room temperature. Because this is slow cooked, you don’t need to bother pre-cooking the octopus first.

2 eggplants olive oil for frying

1 onion, sliced

1 octopus, cleaned

2 cloves garlic, sliced

2 tablespoons oregano leaves

1 cup red wine

4-5 large tomatoes, peeled, roughly chopped ½ cup roughly chopped parsley leaves grilled bread to serve

Slice the eggplants in half lengthwise, cut each piece into quarters lengthwise and cut into 6 cm pieces. Heat some oil in a wide saucepan and fry the eggplant in batches until golden (it doesn’t need to be cooked all the way through). Remove and set aside. Add more oil to the pan and add the onion and fry for a few minutes until golden. Cut the octopus tentacles into 10-12cm pieces and slice the head into pieces. Pat dry. Add to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes then add the garlic and oregano and cook for a minute. Add the red wine and reduce by half, add the tomatoes and cook, covered, on a low heat for 25 minutes. The octopus will release some liquid as it cooks but if necessary add a splash of water to the pan. Add the eggplant and cook for a further 10 minutes or until the octopus is tender. Season to taste and scatter with parsley to serve. Serve with the grilled bread.