Octopus in Sauce

(“Polpo in Salsa” – “Purpu Muratu”)

Piazza Caracciolo is the center of the famous open market of Palermo: La Vucciria.
Vucciria means butcher shop, from the French boucherie , but because of the continuous yelling and screaming of the vendors calling attention to their products, there is such a pandemonium that Vucciria became synonymous of hubbub.
The sweetest polpo is alla Vucciria, where traditionally the polpo is battuto (beaten against a marble counter to tenderize it) and then cooked in boiling water without salt until it is so tender that it melts in your mouth.
As you get near the stand that sells polpo, the typical smell of the boiling octopus and the voice of the vendor yelling “u purpu cavuru” (to advertise the hot polpo), fills the air. When you are in front of the counter as the fishmonger starts to cut the polpo, he usually offers a small sample to tempt you to buy it and then presents it in a dish with lemon wedges and salt.

Besides La Vucciria, you can order polpo in many restaurants, but the best is sold in the outside kiosks near the Marina at La Villa a Mare, in the summer resort of Mondello and in other famous open markets throughout the city.

Polpo in America is available frozen in fish stores. One of the best polpo is imported from Portugal. The medium size (weighting about 1 ½ Lbs.) are younger and more tender and are the most desirable.
The polpo is all edible except for the mouth, eyes and stomach and usually comes ready to cook.  Tenderize the polpo by pounding it with a meat mallet, wash the tentacles and the head with salt and rinse in abundant water.
Octopus can be boiled, sautéed, or murato (simmered in tomato, herbs and spices in sealed earthenware).

Served as an appetizer, is dressed with olive oil and lemon or sautéed in garlic and oil. Served as a main dish, as polpo murato (walled up) or boiled with lemon, a few hours after dinner as the best and most original conclusion to a holiday feast!

 

Serves 4

 

Ingredients: 

• 4 lb. raw octopus, cut into bite size pieces
• 3 cloves of garlic slightly smashed
• ¼ cup of olive oil
• 16 oz peeled tomatoes, approximately 2 ½ cups, drained and chopped
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 bay leaf
• chopped parsley (small bunch)
• few hot pepper flakes (Optional)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• pepper to taste

 

Preparation
With the flame at medium position, using a 3 quarts earthenware pot with a lid or a saucepan with a tight lid, heat oil with mashed garlic. When garlic starts to fry, increase flame to high and add peeled tomatoes, tomato paste, half of the parsley and bay leaf.
Cook for about 3 minutes. Remove from flame. Add polpo and hot peppers (optional), black pepper and salt. Mix it gently to blend thoroughly. Cover pot tightly using parchment paper or foil and then place the lid.
Simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
When ready, taste for salt, pour the polpo in a serving dish and garnish with remaining parsley.
Serve hot with oven fresh Italian bread.