Neapolitan-style octopus (polpo alla luciana)

A traditional recipe from southern Italy, full of Mediterranean flavors, originally called “polpo alla luciana” in Italian. The name “Luciana” is not referred to a woman; it’s actually the demonym of Santa Lucia, a small coastal town near Naples.

Some previous considerations about the octopus:

To get a perfect result, it will be necessary to observe some rules while cooking the octopus. These points were already explained in detail in the Galician-style octopus recipe, but here is a summary:

• Use a thawed octopus, as this process softens the meat.
• If the octopus was not cleaned, wash the tentacles under running water, empty and rinse the head well inside, and remove the “tooth” that is in the middle of the animal, at the point from which the tentacles open.
• When starting to cook the octopus, hold it by the head and first place the tentacles in the pan, in order to temper them. When they have contracted, then release the octopus and submerge it completely.
• For this recipe, it will not be necessary to add water or wine, since the octopus loses a lot of liquid, so it will be stewed in its own juices.
• Adjust salt only at the end. Normally this is not necessary, since the octopus accumulates a large amount of sea salt.

The recipe of polpo alla luciana:

Use a frying pan with a certain depth and which has a fitting lid. Heat a little extra virgin olive oil and sauté the chopped garlic and pepperoncino (or chilli) for a few minutes. Add the octopus, holding it by the head and trying to brown the tentacles first. Then brown the head side for a few minutes and then add the tomatoes cut in half. Also add the chopped parsley, the pitted olives and the capers, which should have previously been immersed in a container with water, in order to desalt them. Cover the pan with the lid and cook over low heat for about 40 or 45 minutes (this time corresponds to an octopus of approx. 1kg). When the octopus is tender or “al dente”, then it’s then ready to be served.

Tips and tricks:

1. The recipe also works with small octopuses, called “moscardini” in Italy. In this case, the cooking time is reduced to around half of the time.
2. Some recipes prefer to add the olives and capers towards the end of cooking, but by doing it at the beginning, the flavors intensify and combine better.
3. It’s possible to use crushed tomatoes (preferably “San Marzano”, and always without skin) instead of cherry tomatoes, or a mixture of both. But the cherry or “datterini” tomatoes give a certain sweet touch that balances very well the stronger flavor of the capers.
4. This recipe normally uses black “Gaeta” olives, a highly appreciated type in Italy. But failing that, use simply any available ones.
5. The polpo alla luciana is usually served with some slices of bread or toasted focaccia, which is great to enjoy the delicious sauce.
6. It’s also possible to use the sauce and some pieces of octopus for a first course of pasta with octopus ragout. The tentacles will then be served as a main dish.