Octopus with Potatoes, the Unexpected Guest at our Christmas Table
The anticipation of Christmas break is always special, no matter what one’s age. As a child, it was a magical time in every sense —the miracle of the birth, the visit of the Three Magi, loaded with toys, and the school vacation! As an adult, the excitement doesn’t wane, but new layers are added: this year was the first one we had two of our children away at college, and therefore back home for Christmas. What better opportunity than to celebrate with special dishes they don’t usually eat?
Octopus with potatoes was one memorable dish we enjoyed. Octopus was the unexpected guest at our Christmas table, and it all came about thanks to two very special people, Alice Eshelman and chef Marcus Daniel of Joseph Decuis restaurant in Roanoke, Indiana, who provided me with the octopus (an octopus from Spain!), and my brother-in-law Jaime, who shared his recipe, my favorite by far, with tips and advice on every aspect, from the ideal weight and size of the octopus, to the way to clean and discard the non-edible parts. Thank you both for making octopus with potatoes the highlight of our Christmas table.
Speaking of chef Marcus and Joseph Decuis restaurant, I am very excited to share that I will be working with them on a Spain night that will take place March 22nd, as part of their Culinary Diplomacy Series. Stay tuned! And as for my brother-in-law Jaime, he’s a brilliant and talented home cook in his own right, and a master of Spanish dishes, with a specialty in rice dishes (among them, arroz con bogavante, soupy rice with lobster, is a masterpiece).
Octopus are funny creatures. Looking at one live, or even ready to be prepared to be cooked, from the point of view of an American at least, they may not seem like the kind of thing you want to eat. They are jelly-ish, and slippery, and over all weird. Cook it, though, and its texture changes completely. Take a bite, and you’ll convert into a fan. So I dare you to not be discouraged by the look of an octopus before it transforms into a delicacy, and not even get squeamish when you hold it in your hands and think there’s no way you can handle it. Venture out of your comfort zone and you’ll find out octopus not only is easy and fun to prepare, but it’s a dish you’ll want to keep having as often as you can. Tell it to the Spaniards, particularly the Galicians! Octopus is their dish, they are famous for it, and there are festivals around it. I hope I can keep finding octopus, because there’s no going back: my family wants more.
Some notes before you start: my octopus was 5.4 pounds and 43 inches long from head to the tip of the tentacles. Quite a piece! When cooked, though, it shrunk considerably. Octopus has a high water content, and that’s what happens when you cook it. However, a small portion goes a long way, and this dish fed 10 to 12 people (next day leftovers were just as delicious!)
As in many households, gearing up to Christmas is a whirlwind of activity, involving the planning of meals, the shopping for all the ingredients, alongside present shopping, and wrapping, and shows, events, and parties to attend. I love it all! Now though, early January, it is the start of two months that most people dread, but I enjoy to their fullest. Two months of free, almost uninterrupted creativity and productivity, and void of strict deadlines. Is that you as well? I would think, for all of us who work tirelessly to make the Christmas break unforgettable for our family and guests, January and February offer a respite, a time to regroup and refresh. Enjoy your time!
OCTOPUS WITH POTATOES
Pulpo con Patatas
Ingredients:
1 large octopus (mine was 5.4 Lbs) or 2 small ones
5 lbs potatoes
6 bay leaves
2 Tbs whole peppercorns
2 tsp sea salt
2 Tbs pimentón de la Vera
About 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Don’t be intimidated by a fresh octopus! They are weird looking animals, but they don’t bite, and are delicious when cooked. Their look and texture changes completely
If you buy a fresh octopus, place it in the freezer. This will tenderize it. The day before cooking, take it out of the freezer and place in the fridge to defrost. Make sure you place it in a large enough container, as the octopus will release a generous amount of water as it defrosts.
Method:
Clean the octopus well, tentacle by tentacle, to remove any residue.
Chop the octopus, making sure to discard the beak, the eyes, and the innards. For this, separate the head from the legs. The innards are inside the head —turn it inside out to remove them and wash the head thoroughly. To remove the eyes, slice the head into rings about 1 inch wide, then cut the rings into 1-inch pieces. Discard the two 1×1 pieces that contain the eyes. You’ll find the beak where the legs join, below the head. Cut and discard the beak and the cartilage that surrounds it.
Separate the legs and chop them into pieces about 1 inch long. As you’ll expect, they are very jelly-like! Don’t fret, their texture changes completely when cooked. Place the pieces in a colander and rinse them well. Let drain well in the colander while working on the potatoes.
Peel the potatoes and cut them in half.
Place the potatoes and the octopus pieces in a pot large enough to hold them. Add the bay leaves, the salt and the peppercorns, and add water to cover. Place a lid on the pot and bring to a boil. Remove the cover, reduce the heat to medium and cook for another 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally and removing with a large spoon any foam that might form on the surface.
Check for doneness by gently inserting a fork into a piece of potato. Remove the octopus pieces with a slotted spoon and place in a colander. Remove the potato halves from the boiling water and place them on a cutting board. Dice them into about 1-inch pieces.
Prepare two high side serving dishes: add about 1/2 cup olive oil into each of them (or about 1/2-inch high in the dish) and 1 Tbs pimentón de la Vera into each of them. Mix well, until the oil becomes red-ish in color. Add the octopus pieces into one of the dishes, add about half of the peppercorns and bay leaves from the pot and toss to coat the octopus generously. Don’t skim on the oil and add 1 or 2 more Tbs if necessary.
Pour the pimentón and olive oil mix from the other serving dish into the bowl with the potatoes and gently toss to coat. Don’t worry if some potato pieces break slightly. Then return the coated potatoes to the serving dish and add the remaining peppercorns and bay leaves from the pot. Discard the cooking liquid.
To serve, place one serving spoonful of potatoes on a plate and top with one serving spoonful of octopus.
Notes:
- When cooked, the octopus shrinks considerably
- This dish can be enjoyed as a tapa or as a main dish, but even as a main dish, a small serving goes a long way
