Octopus Delish - Childhood Memories # 15

This amazingly savory dish is full of the fondest memeories of my grandmother Maria, who cooked it exquisitely , every other week, many times at my spoilt request, during my teenage years. The love, affection, dediation she used to put onto the confection of this amazing treat took it to a whole new level of deliciousness, warming the foodie heart and soul with a red-wine reduction preparation. I can recall her clearly in her small rustic kitchen, with a small pan on the oven, slowly cooking the octupus while the whole house was filled with an unforgetable smell of homemade stew. She would then toast the bread over an old traditional toaster that was a kind of a mettalic grill that would heat over the stove burner, those we can still find at some flea markets nowadays. Our ritual of sharing the dish was innefable and the excitment of the first bite was thrilling. The perfect combination  of the tenderness of the octupus with its' spicy flavour and the crispness of the freshly toasted bread will be forever engraved in my mind and as I was having this dish for lunch the other day, so will the tender great memories about my so missed grandma.  I hope you'll try this super tasty meal, perfect for a winter storm day. 

Ingredients:

• 2 medium frozen octopus
• 2 onions
• 4 cloves of garlic
• chili to taste
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt
• 1 cup red wine
• 2 cups water
• 1 package tomato concentrate 
• freshly toasted bread

First of all boil the octopus in water with salt and 1 peeled onion and

do not stir it ever -this will leave the octopus super tender. 

After it is boiled, let it cool and then cut the tentacles off the octopus, 

then chop into smaller bite-sized pieces. The "pouch" is edible, but the beak 

is not. Chop up the onions and the cloves of garlic and sauté in 6 tablespoons

of olive oil.Sauté onions and garlic on medium heat slowly. 

When the onions are translucent, add the tomato concentrate and the chilis

(about 10 minutes,stirring often) to the pan. Then add the octopus, 

stir gently, add the water and the wine, allowing it to integrate and

cook on medium high uncovered for about 45 minutes, until liquid evaporates,

stirring occasionally. You can adjust to taste as you cook. Simmer covered

until octopus is tender(about another 20 min). 

 Ingredientes:

• 2 polvos congelados médios
• 2 cebolas
• 4 dentes de alho
• piri piri a gosto
• azeite virgem extra
• sal
• 1 copo de vinho tinto
• 2 copos de água
• 1 pacote de concentrado de tomate
• pão fresco torrado

Primeiro de tudo ferver o polvo em água com sal e uma cebola descascada e não mexa nunca - o polvo irá ficar cozido tenrinhodeixar o polvo super concurso. Depois de estar cozido, deixe arrefecer e  depois corte os tentáculos  do polvo e, de seguida, corte-o em pedaços médios . A "bolsa" é comestível, mas o bico não é. Pique a cebola e os dentes de alho e refogue em 6 colheres de sopa azeite. Salteie a cebola e o alho em lume médio lentamente. Quando as cebolas ficarem translúcidas, adicione o concentrado de tomate e as malaguetas (cerca de 10 minutos, mexendo frequentemente) na panela. De seguida, adicione o polvo, mexa delicadamente, adicione a água e o vinho, que se intergre bem no refogado e cozinhe em lume alto/ médio a descoberto por cerca de 45 minutos, até que o líquido evapore, mexendo ocasionalmente. Pode ajustar os tempros a gosto à medida que cozinha. Deixe apurar coberto até o polvo ficar macio (cerca de outros 20 min).