Pulpo en Purgatorio

Every once in a while, my beautiful Angel buys me a package of octopus from our local big box store. The package usually includes three to four large tentacles. Those tentacles are cooked, meaning that one of the most time-intensive parts of preparing activity of making octopus (boiling the octopus) is already done. That opens a wide range of opportunities to focus on different ways to present that ingredient.

I spent a lot of time looking for recipes to make with that octopus. I found three recipes: one from Peru, a second from Italy, and a third from Haiti.  I could not decide which one to make. So, I turned to my friends on social media and asked for their opinion. The results were closer than I expected, but the clear winner was this recipe: Pulpo en Purgatorio. The recipe is a specialty from Molise, where it is known as i pulepe 'npregatorie in the local dialect.

Molise happens to be the newest Italian region, having been established in 1970 after it split from Abruzzo e Molise. Despite the split, the cuisine of Molise remains substantially similar to that of Abruzzo. Both cuisines draw from the bounty of the sea, whether from the port of Chieti in Abruzzo or the port of Termoli in Molise. More significantly, both cuisines share the use of  peperoncini (a general label for a range of chiles) in many dishes.

Source : Tesori del Matese

It is said that Italians refer to peperoncini as la droga di poveri (the drug of the poor). The origin of this phrase comes from two facts: (1) that the pepper plants are cheap and (2) the chiles can grow anywhere. Thus, these chiles are available to the poor, who can purchase them and grown them on their properties. Thus, while the rich are able to utilize black pepper (which costs more given it has to be imported), the poor cultivate these chiles, dry them, and use them in very much the same way. For these reasons, peperoncini often finds its way into cucina povera. The chiles enable the poor to provide that spicy kick to bland dishes. And, the poor used these chiles in large quantities, especially in the southern regions, like Molise.

A relatively large amount of peperoncini (for some people) is called for when one makes pulpo en purgatorio. The word, "purgatory," is defined as a place of temporary suffering or misery. The heat and spice of the peperoncini are supposed to provide that suffering or misery. I guess that someone who does not ordinarily eat spicy food may find this recipe a bit "painful." However, as followers of this blog may recall, I revel in the heat and piquancy of chiles. After all, I created the Inferno Steak, a recipe inspired by Dante Alighieri's famous poem. The recipe utilizes nine different chiles, each one representing a circle of hell and each subsequent chile being hotter than the last. Italian peperoncini inflict little suffering or misery to my taste buds. 

As for the recipe itself, it calls for the use of a raw octopus, which requires some extra work. I kept those instructions in the case someone is using a raw, rather than a cooked octopus. I then added directions for pre-cooked octopus. When you used the pre-cooked variety, this recipe becomes very simple and quick to make. 

PULPO EN PURGATORIO

Recipe from Gusto TV and Serge the Concierge

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 cups olive oil
• 2 small onions, finely diced
• 1 pound of fresh, large octopus tentacles
• 4 red chiles, seeded and sliced (or 2 teaspoon crushed red pepper)
• 1 chile, minced for garnish 
• 1/2 cup parsley, chopped, plus more for garnish
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. If using fresh octopus. Heat half the oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat.  Add the onions, garlic, parsley and chiles (or crushed red pepper) and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions soften, about 6 to 8 minutes.  Put the tentacles in a pot and add the onion mixture and the remaining oil. Add enough water to cover just the tentacles and bring it to a boil over high heat.  Reduce the heat to low, season generously with salt, cover and cook, stirring occasionally until the liquid has evaporated, about 2 hours. Serve immediately. 

2. If using cooked octopus.  Heat half the oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat.  Add the onions, and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions soften, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add octopus, parsley and chiles (or crushed red pepper), salt and black pepper, and stir to combine. Cook until octopus is heated through.  Transfer octopus with oil to platter, garnish with remaining parsley and red chiles. Squeeze juice of 1/2 lemon over dish.