Luciana-style Octopus is a traditional dish of Neapolitan cuisine, originating from the Santa Lucia district.
↘ The octopuses are cooked in a pot, traditionally made of terracotta, with tomatoes, garlic, Gaeta olives, and capers. It’s seasoned with pepper and finished with chopped parsley at the end of cooking.
Do not add water during cooking.
A Neapolitan saying, which emphasizes this point, states:
(Neapolitan)
«’O purpo se coce dinto a ll’acqua soja»
(Italian)
«Octopus cooks in its own water»
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 4People
- Cooking methods: Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 1 cleaned octopus (about 2.6 lbs)
- 500 g cherry tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp desalted capers
- 100 g Gaeta olives
- 1 chili pepper
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste parsley
- to taste salt and pepper
Steps
In a large pot, heat the extra virgin olive oil and add the crushed garlic cloves and, if desired, the chili pepper. Let it simmer for a few minutes.
Add the whole octopus to the pot and let it brown for a few minutes, turning it on all sides.Add the halved cherry tomatoes, black olives, chili pepper, and desalted capers. Mix well to combine the ingredients.
Cover the pot with a lid and let it cook on low heat for about 45-60 minutes. The octopus will release its juices, creating a flavorful sauce.
Check the tenderness of the octopus by poking it with a fork. If it feels tender, it’s ready.Cut the octopus into pieces and serve it with its sauce, garnishing with freshly chopped parsley. Serve with slices of toasted bread to best enjoy the sauce.
I served it with my gluten-free bread made with the flour mix with turmeric and seeds from Ori di Sicilia, enriched with squash blossoms and Life Frutta salted almonds.
