Although the octopus is baked, the cooking starts from the pot, in order to remove its liquids in a reasonable time.
Ingredients:
- 1 large octopus (or 2 smaller), about 1.800 - 2.000 g, fresh or frozen, peeled
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped (or as much garlic as we like)
- 1.500 gr. potatoes, preferably organic, peeled and cut into medium pieces, quinces
- 100 ml of olive oil
- the leaves of 1 bunch of fresh mint (or fennel), finely chopped, or 2 tsp. soup dry mint, beaten into a fine powder
- salt, freshly ground pepper
Procedure:
- Put the octopus with the bay leaves and freshly ground pepper in a saucepan, cover and cook over high heat for about 10 minutes, without adding any liquids - the octopus will start to produce its own.
- Reduce the heat and cook for about another 20 minutes, until the octopus has removed all its liquids.
- Turn off the heat, take out the octopus with a fork on a cutting board and cut it into medium pieces, which we put back in the pot. We leave them aside.
- Preheat the oven to 180 ° C.
- In a pan with a diameter of about 32-36 cm, put the potatoes, garlic cloves, salt (in moderation, because the octopus liquids are salty) and freshly ground pepper.
- Pour over half of the measured olive oil and mix well.
- Arrange the octopus pieces between the potatoes and add all the liquids he took out during cooking (and the laurels).
- Cover the food with oil paste and then with foil, to be sure that the steam will not escape, and bake for about 20 - 25 minutes.
- Uncover the pan a little, check the liquids of the food and, if they have been saved, add a little hot water.
- Cover again and continue baking for another 20 - 25 minutes.
- Uncover the pan and cook for about 10 - 20 minutes or until the octopus is well softened, the potatoes "drink" its liquids and are done. If at the end of the cooking the food has more juice, take it out and keep it in a bowl in the fridge, to make another time delicious pilaf or vegetables (eg potatoes) yahni.
- Turn off the heat, but leave the food in the oven, with the door ajar, to "rest" for 10-15 minutes.
- Mix the mint with the rest of the olive oil and pour over this octopus and the potatoes.
- Try the salt and serve, accompanied by a green salad, with olives and orange slices.
Source: Gourmet / Recipe: Nena Ismirnoglou