Purpicieddi Murati
Ingredients – Serves 4
1kg baby octopus large 1 shallot cloves 3 of garlic
600g tinned whole San Marzano tomatoes tsp ½ chilli flakes
125ml dry white wine small 1 parsley stalk
Salt and ground black pepper tbsp 3 extra virgin olive oil
Method
1 Cut the shallot in brunoise – finely diced – and
grate or press garlic into a paste. Put to the side.
2 Pour the oil in a pot and sautée shallots for three minutes on a medium heat, adding a small pinch of salt and ground black peppercorns.
3 Reduce the heat and add garlic, chilli and the whole parsley stalk. With chilli it is all very relative – adjust the amount according to your taste and the intensity of the chilli flakes.
4 Cook for a further four minutes, or until the shallots are soft and translucent. If it looks too dry, just add a splash of water.
5 Add the baby octopuses and increase the heat back up to medium – stir often to avoid the aromatics burning.
6 Reduce the heat again to medium low. The octopuses will now have released plenty of liquid that must be evaporated – this could take up to 20 minutes. Once the liquid is reduced, add the white wine and evaporate again.
7 Time for the tomatoes. I suggest using top quality tinned whole San Marzano tomatoes, blended with a stick blender for a couple of minutes.
8 Add the tomatoes, stir well and cover with a heavy lid. Reduce the temperature to low and cook for roughly 30 minutes, or until the baby octopuses are soft but still hold their shape.
9 Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. For an extra Italian touch, toast a few slices of sourdough bread and lightly scrub with a garlic clove.