Chef Graziella
Braciole alla Napoletana
The Sunday ritual of Naples: beef rolls stuffed with pine nuts, raisins, and garlic, braised in tomato sauce until surrendering to tenderness. The sauce goes to the pasta. The meat comes second.
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Polpo alla Luciana
Created by
Octopus braised in the manner of Naples' Santa Lucia waterfront, where fishermen's wives proved that the sea provides everything a dish needs, including its own cooking liquid.
Main Dishes
Italian, Neapolitan
Dinner Party
Make Ahead
Comfort Food
20 min
Active Time
1 hr 30 min cook•1 hr 50 min total
Yield4 servings
The first useful thing to know about this dish is that you add no water. The octopus cooks in its own liquid, releasing moisture as it braises, creating a sauce that tastes intensely of the sea. Neapolitan fishermen's wives understood this. They had octopus, tomatoes, a few olives, some capers. They had patience. That was enough.
Polpo alla Luciana comes from Santa Lucia, the waterfront neighborhood of Naples where fishing boats once lined the shore. The women who waited for their husbands to return knew how to transform the catch into something worth coming home to. They used terra cotta pots called pignatielli, sealed tight to trap every drop of liquid the octopus surrendered.
Americans think octopus is restaurant food, something complicated and impressive. In Naples, it is Tuesday dinner. The technique requires nothing but time and a heavy pot with a lid that seals properly. Simple does not mean easy, but this comes close.
Santa Lucia was Naples' ancient fishing quarter, its boats beached on the shoreline below Castel dell'Ovo until the waterfront was reclaimed in the late 19th century. The neighborhood gave its name to the famous Neapolitan song and to this dish, which fishermen's families prepared in sealed terra cotta vessels that trapped the octopus's own moisture. The method predates refrigeration, when the day's catch had to become dinner before the sun set.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
whole octopus
Quantity
2 1/2 to 3 pounds
cleaned
extra virgin olive oil
Quantity
1/3 cup
garlic cloves
Quantity
4
peeled and lightly crushed
red pepper flakes
Quantity
1/4 teaspoon
San Marzano tomatoes
Quantity
1 can (14 ounces)
crushed by hand
dry white wine
Quantity
1/2 cup
Gaeta olives
Quantity
1/3 cup
pitted
salt-packed capers
Quantity
2 tablespoons
rinsed and soaked
fresh Italian parsley
Quantity
2 tablespoons
chopped
kosher salt
Quantity
to taste
crusty bread
Quantity
for serving
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| whole octopuscleaned | 2 1/2 to 3 pounds |
| extra virgin olive oil | 1/3 cup |
| garlic clovespeeled and lightly crushed | 4 |
| red pepper flakes | 1/4 teaspoon |
| San Marzano tomatoescrushed by hand | 1 can (14 ounces) |
| dry white wine | 1/2 cup |
| Gaeta olivespitted | 1/3 cup |
| salt-packed capersrinsed and soaked | 2 tablespoons |
| fresh Italian parsleychopped | 2 tablespoons |
| kosher salt | to taste |
| crusty bread | for serving |
Equipment Needed
- •Heavy 4-quart Dutch oven or braising pot with tight-fitting lid
- •Sharp knife for portioning
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the octopus
If your fishmonger has not cleaned the octopus, you must remove the beak, eyes, and ink sac. Rinse thoroughly under cold water. Do not beat the octopus against rocks or tenderize it with a mallet. This is folklore. The octopus will become tender through proper cooking, nothing else.
- 2
Start the base
In a heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the crushed garlic cloves and the red pepper flakes. Cook gently until the garlic is fragrant and barely golden, about two minutes. The garlic must not brown. Remove the garlic and set it aside.
Crushing the garlic rather than mincing it gives flavor without the harsh bite. The cloves return to the pot later. They have work left to do. - 3
Add the octopus
Place the whole octopus into the pot. It will curl as it hits the heat. This is normal. Let it sear briefly, turning once, until the skin tightens and changes color slightly, about three minutes total. Do not worry about browning. The octopus is not a steak.
- 4
Add wine and tomatoes
Pour in the white wine and let it bubble for one minute. Add the crushed tomatoes, the reserved garlic cloves, the olives, and the capers. Stir gently to combine. The liquid will seem insufficient. Do not add water. The octopus releases its own liquid as it cooks. This is the secret of the dish.
Neapolitan fishermen's wives knew that octopus, cooked properly, needs nothing but its own moisture. Adding water dilutes the concentrated flavor of the sea. - 5
Braise until tender
Cover the pot tightly and reduce heat to the lowest possible setting. The liquid should barely simmer, with only occasional bubbles breaking the surface. Cook for one hour to one hour and thirty minutes. The octopus is done when a fork slides easily into the thickest part of a tentacle. There is no other test.
Resist the urge to check constantly. Every time you lift the lid, you lose moisture and heat. Check once at 45 minutes, then leave it alone. - 6
Finish and serve
When the octopus is tender, taste the braising liquid and adjust salt. The olives and capers contribute salinity, so be cautious. Transfer the octopus to a cutting board and slice it into generous pieces, keeping some tentacles whole for presentation. Return the pieces to the pot and coat them with the sauce. Scatter the parsley over all.
- 7
Serve properly
Serve in warm shallow bowls with plenty of the braising liquid. The sauce is as important as the octopus. Crusty bread is mandatory. You will want to soak up every drop of that liquid, and no one who has tasted it will judge you for doing so.
Chef Tips
- •Frozen octopus is not only acceptable, it is often superior for tenderness. The freezing process breaks down the muscle fibers. Thaw it slowly in the refrigerator overnight.
- •Gaeta olives are correct for this dish. They are small, wrinkled, and purple-black, with a mild, almost sweet flavor. Do not substitute Greek kalamatas, which are too assertive and will overwhelm the octopus.
- •Salt-packed capers have better flavor and texture than those in brine. Rinse them thoroughly and soak in cold water for ten minutes to remove excess salt. If you can only find brined capers, rinse them well and reduce any added salt.
- •The braising liquid should be abundant when you serve. If it has reduced too much, the heat was too high. Add a splash of white wine and simmer briefly to restore it.
Advance Preparation
- •The dish can be prepared completely up to two days ahead and refrigerated in its braising liquid. The flavor deepens overnight. Reheat gently over low heat.
- •Polpo alla Luciana does not freeze well. The texture of the octopus suffers. Make only what you will eat within two days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 300g)
Calories
465 calories
Total Fat
22 g
Saturated Fat
3 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
18 g
Cholesterol
150 mg
Sodium
640 mg
Total Carbohydrates
13 g
Dietary Fiber
2 g
Sugars
4 g
Protein
48 g
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