Portuguese Octopus Stew Food

OCTOPUS STEW (POLVO GUISADO) THE RIGHT ONE RECIPE - (4/5)

Steps:

• "Purple stew" is what someone called this when they inquired about an octopus recipe popular with the Portuguese. The color purple comes in to play when cooks use red wine in the dish instead of white. It is a matter of preference. Day 1 Cut octopus into large pieces, about 2-inches long, and place in a bowl. Season with the salt and pepper. Add the remaining ingredients. Turn to coat evenly, cover and chill overnight. (You will notice that I am not instructing you to beat the octopus with a stick to tenderize it. Some Portuguese cooks still do this and you can if you wish.) Day 2 Reserving the marinade, transfer octopus to another separate bowl Pour just enough olive oil to cover the bottom of a large skillet. Fry the onions until golden. There should be a brown caramelized coating on the bottom of the skillet (called a fond by professionals). Add the garlic and parsley. When the garlic is aromatic,toss in the octopus. When it starts to take on some color, recover. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let it sweat for 30 minutes. It will release a lot of water. Add the potatoes and continue to cook on medium-low for another 30 min. Test the fattest piece. If it is still chewy or tough, let it cook some more (around but not usually over 30 min.) Anytime the liquid looks like it is evaporating, add the reserved marinade in small amounts. Thicken the liquid with a cornstarch slurry. If you overcook it, it will shrink to almost nothing but if you don't cook it enough it will be tough.

MOOD BEEF (PORTUGUESE BEEF STEW)

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven or heavy skillet heat the olive oil over high heat.
• Season the beef with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the black pepper.
• Saute the beef, in batches if necessary so that the pan is not crowded, until well-browned on all sides, about 4 minutes. Transfer the beef to a plate and set aside.
• Add the onion and green peppers to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and caramelized around the edges, about 6 minutes.
• Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
• Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Add the tomatoes, water, bay leaf, crushed red pepper and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt.
• Return the beef to the pan and bring the sauce to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, partially covered, for 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is very tender.
• Add the ditalini to the gravy and cook until tender, about 25 minutes.
• Add the parsley. Serve immediately.

PORTUGUESE ROASTED OCTOPUS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Combine all of the spices (except for salt), onions, garlic, oil and wine in a large roasting pan with a lid.
• Cut up the octopus tentacles into large 3 inch pieces, removing any excess skin. Separate the skin from the head by pulling it apart, then cut into large pieces. (Make sure you remove the mouth & bone from the head).
• Wash thoroughly, then add to the roasting pan.
• Roast uncovered for approximately 1 hour. Cover then roast for another hour.
• Cut the potatoes into either quarters or eights, depending on the size of the potatoes. If you're a big potato fan, you can definitely add more of them.
• When the octopus is tender, add the potatoes and cook for another hour, or so. If the sauce is drying, you can add either more wine or some water.
• The cooking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of the octopus. Adjust the time accordingly.
• Taste the potatoes, then add more salt, or more spices if desired.
• *Taste the potatoes before adding any salt because the raw octopus has a lot of salt. The octopus will shrink significantly.