HOW TO COOK MOSCARDINI ALLA LUCIANA
Today we will prepare together a simple but tasty second course typical of the Campania tradition: MOSCARDINI alla LUCIANA, a variant of the more famous POLPO alla Luciana, but no less delicious with the advantage that it is quicker!
The Luciana cooking method is a braising preparation where the octopus, small octopuses, or in our case moscardini, are cooked for a long time in a tomato sauce generally enriched with olives and capers and flavored with garlic and chili pepper.
In this way, you’ll serve a simple yet tasty fish second course perfect if accompanied by toasted bread slices or croutons but also an excellent solution if you have leftovers to dress a pasta dish.
In the Moscardini alla Luciana recipe, the delicate flavor of the moscardini is enhanced by the taste of tomatoes and the savoriness of olives and capers, and the addition of chili pepper adds liveliness to the dish.
You also have the possibility, if you don’t have much time to spend in the kitchen, to prepare Moscardini alla Luciana with a pressure cooker, and in this case, it will be ready in 20 minutes (See at the end of the recipe).
Now let’s prepare this tasty second course together and make sure to stock up on bread because here the scarpetta is a must!
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Stove, Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 219.64 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 11.59 (g) of which sugars 0.07 (g)
- Proteins 29.38 (g)
- Fat 4.48 (g) of which saturated 0.76 (g)of which unsaturated 2.42 (g)
- Fibers 1.73 (g)
- Sodium 663.85 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 150 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE MOSCARDINI ALLA LUCIANA
Following this recipe, you can also prepare POLPO alla LUCIANA by replacing the amount of Moscardini with the same amount of Octopus.
- 2.2 lbs moscardini (or octopus or small moscardini)
- 1.7 cups tomato puree
- 2.8 oz Gaeta olives (pitted)
- 0.35 oz salted capers (desalted)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon dried chili pepper
- 1 bunch parsley
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch fine salt
- black pepper (ground optional)
Tools
- Pan
HOW TO PREPARE MOSCARDINI ALLA LUCIANA
If you buy very small moscardini (about 1 inch) there will be no need to clean them but the first thing to do is definitely to clean them. To do this, you must remove the beak and eyes, then remove the innards from the pouch and finally rinse them under running water.
In a large pan, pour a round of extra virgin olive oil, add a clove of garlic and the chili pepper previously deseeded and finely chopped, and sauté for a minute. Add the moscardini and sauté gently for 2 minutes; you’ll see the tentacles curl up. At this point, raise the heat, pour the wine, and let it evaporate until the alcohol has evaporated.
Pour in the tomato puree, lower the heat, and also add the pitted olives and desalted capers. Stir and continue cooking with the lid on over low heat for about 50 minutes – 1 hour, stirring occasionally. The times obviously vary depending on the size of the moscardini. If towards the end the cooking liquid dries too much, you can add a little water but don’t overdo it because the sauce should be thick and not liquid.
After the cooking time, remove from the heat, plate, and garnish with chopped fresh parsley and, if desired, ground black pepper. Serve the MOSCARDINI alla LUCIANA still hot, accompanied by slices of toasted bread or croutons, although I personally prefer fresh bread because here the scarpetta is a must!
STORAGE
Once ready, Moscardini alla Luciana can be stored in the fridge, sealed in an airtight container for up to 2 days. If you have leftovers, they can also become an excellent pasta dressing!
COOKING MOSCARDINI IN THE PRESSURE COOKER
The pressure cooker is another method to cook moscardini in less time that will be tender and tasty. Cooking moscardini alla Luciana in the pressure cooker is very easy. After cleaning the moscardini, place the crushed garlic, 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, the tomato puree, pitted olives, desalted capers, and the chili pepper in the pressure cooker. Stir and add the moscardini, then close the pressure cooker and cook for 20 minutes over moderate heat from the whistle. After the time, release the valve and carefully remove the lid: the moscardini should be cooked. Plate them and sprinkle with chopped parsley and/or pepper as desired.
ADVICE
The cooking time may vary depending on the size of the moscardini. Add salt sparingly because moscardini, olives, and capers are already quite savory.
CURIOSITIES
It seems that the polipetti alla luciana originated right in the Santa Lucia district, from which their typical name derives. Where the locals, mostly fishermen, returning home with a nice octopus freshly caught and beaten on the rocks to tenderize the meat, used to cook it in a stew in terracotta, obtaining with one dish a tasty and tender octopus and a fragrant sauce for pasta.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
HOW MANY TYPES OF MOSCARDINI ARE THERE
There are two species of moscardini, one more prized, the “Eledone moschata,” also known as Musked Octopus for its characteristic musk scent, and it is cooked like the octopus, and one called White Moscardino (Eledone cirrhosa) with less tender meat usually used for frying.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MOSCARDINI AND OCTOPUSES
In reality, moscardini, which belong to the family of cephalopod mollusks, have meat similar to octopuses but can be distinguished by their smaller size, lighter color, and especially their tentacles! Moscardini have a single row of suckers on their tentacles, while octopuses have two rows of suckers per tentacle.
HOW TO TELL IF SHELLFISH ARE FRESH
As for shellfish, like fish, the eyes are the mirror of truth! Moscardini or any other shellfish should have a bright color, tentacles should be firmly attached to the body, eyes should be shiny and lively, not dull and lifeless, and especially the smell, though “fishy,” should be fresh and pleasant.
HOW TO CLEAN MOSCARDINI
If, as mentioned in the recipe, you have purchased large moscardini, they need to be cleaned, but no panic; it is not difficult. How to clean moscardini? First, you have to turn the head’s sac inside out without detaching the tentacles, remove the innards, and then rinse under water. Turn the sack back and cut out the eyes and the beak at the center of the tentacles. Finally, remove the skin by peeling it off with force. Now your moscardini are ready to be cooked.
