Name: Red Wine-Braised Octopus
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Ingredients: 1 (4-pound) octopus , rinsed; 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 4 garlic cloves , peeled and smashed; 1 sprig fresh rosemary; 2 bay leaves; ½ teaspoon pepper; Pinch ground cinnamon; Pinch ground nutmeg; 1 cup dry red wine; 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar; 2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin; 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley

Why This Recipe Works

Working with octopus may seem intimidating, but braising it in an intense, silky red wine sauce is a common Mediterranean technique with large rewards. Octopus flesh is a dense array of thin muscle fibers reinforced by a network of collagen and connective tissue, so it can be tough and chewy. Most of the octopus in the United States is frozen, and we found that simply defrosting it helped lead to tender octopus; the ice crystals tore through the tough muscle fibers and helped them break down during cooking. Octopus is made up of almost half salt water by weight and releases its salty juices into the braising liquid, making it unpalatable, so we cook the octopus in water first. However, since octopus contains a lot of collagen, which transforms into gelatin as it cooks, we also lost the viscosity and velvety texture. To counteract this, we added powdered gelatin to our robust wine sauce.

Instructions

Using sharp knife, separate octopus mantle (large sac) and body (lower section with tentacles) from head (midsection containing eyes); discard head. Place octopus in large pot, cover with water by 2 inches, and bring to simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer gently, flipping octopus occasionally, until skin between tentacle joints tears easily when pulled, 45 minutes to 1¼ hours.

Transfer octopus to cutting board and let cool slightly. Measure out and reserve 3 cups octopus cooking liquid; discard remaining liquid and wipe pot dry with paper towels. While octopus is warm, use paring knife to cut mantle into quarters, then trim and scrape away skin and interior fibers; transfer to bowl. Using your fingers, remove skin from body, being careful not to remove suction cups. Cut tentacles from around core of body in three sections; discard core. Separate tentacles and cut into 2-inch lengths; transfer to bowl.

Heat oil in now-empty pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until beginning to darken, about 1 minute. Stir in garlic, rosemary sprig, bay leaves, pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in reserved octopus cooking liquid, wine, vinegar, and gelatin, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to boil and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.

Stir in octopus and any accumulated juices and bring to simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until octopus is tender and sauce has thickened slightly and coats back of spoon, 20 to 25 minutes. Off heat, discard rosemary sprig and bay leaves. Stir in parsley and season with pepper to taste. Serve.