Once again, I am back and hopefully a bit more active for the rest of the month than I have been so far. My parents were in town for the New Year and my daughter’s 3rd birthday, which was on Tuesday. We have been busy, busy prepping for her princess party, building a cardboard castle, making magic wands, toilet paper roll crowns and swords (she’s into princesses and pink, but has more male friends than female!). I’ve been cooking, and a lot, using the additional mouths at the table to experiment with new recipes, most of which I documented, I just haven’t had a moment to sit down and write about any of it.

We ate a lot of fish while my parents were here, something that they don’t get enough of in Atlanta. This octopus dish, which Sofia, my husband’s cousin’s wife made when we lunched with them in Monopoli, was a show stopper. It is just like roasting a chicken and surprisingly as tender. I boiled my potatoes before roasting them, something I just recently learned, it makes an enormous difference, chuff them up a bit in the pan to get that extra crispness. The liquid from the octopus doesn’t allow for much crispness, though you end up with purple potatoes.

Polipo al forno con le patate

• 2-4 medium octopus, cleaned
• 4-6 potatoes
• 4-6 winter tomatoes
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• a splash of white wine

Peel the potatoes and cut into large uneven chunks. Place in a pan with enough water to cover them by about 1/2 an inch and a tsp of salt. Set over high heat, cover, bring to a low boil, then lower the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes. Drain the potatoes and put them back in the pot, chuffing them up by shaking the pot. They will get nice an fluffy this way.

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Cut the octopus into quarters and place them in a large roasting pan, scatter the potatoes around the octopus as well as the winter tomatoes. Drizzle the olive oil over the pan and roast in the oven for one hour.

Serve immediately.

Four Years Ago: Alici Fritti, Roasted Fennel Gratin, Zucchini Quiche & Polpo Affogato

~ by italicious on January 17, 2013.

Posted in octopus, potato, Puglia, tomatoes
Tags: octopus, potatoes, seafood