Sophie Grigson's Polpo alla Pignata

Preparing Octopus:  

1. With any luck the fishmonger will have done most of the work for you, but better to check thoroughly and remedy any oversights before cooking.        
2.  Let’s begin with the anatomy. The eight tentacles meet in beautiful star formation, at the centre a small hole, housing the beak or mouth.  Above this are the eyes, and flopping on top is the rest of the body, wrapped up in the fleshy mantle (often referred to as the hood by cooks).        
3. First check that the mantle has been slit open and emptied.  If not, you’re going to have to do it yourself and although it’s a bit icky, it can be done easily in seconds. The mantle itself is good to eat so don’t discard it with the gunk.  If necessary cut out the eyes in a neat wedge shaped chunk.  Now turn the octopus over to expose the star formation where the legs meet.  Push the beak up through the central hole if it is still there and remove.       
4. Now give the whole thing a good rinse under the cold tap to flush out any lingering sandy grit.  

Recipe:  

1. Rinse the octopus(es) under the cold tap. Cut the tentacles into 2-3 cm lengths. Cut the hood into similar sized pieces.       
2. Put the oil, onion and garlic into a flame-proof casserole with a lid. Set over a moderate heat. Once the oil is hot, fry for a few minutes until the onion wilts. Now add all the remaining ingredients including the octopus. Don’t add any salt yet – octopus can be quite salty. Stir and heat through.  Turn the heat down low. Lay a double layer of foil over the top and clamp the lid on firmly. The idea is to seal in all the juices, so if there is a steam hole in the lid, make sure that is covered as well.      
3. Leave to cook gently for 1 1/2-2 hours (depending on the size of the octopuses), stirring occasionally, until the octopus is as tender as butter. If it threatens to dry and catch, add a splash or two of water, then turn the heat lower, and make sure the seal is as tight as can be. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding salt if needed. Serve as it is or tossed with pasta, or possibly best of all, on a pile of steaming hot polenta.

Chef's Note

The key is to seal all the steam and flavour hermetically in the pot so that nothing is lost, and to keep the heat gentle and unaggressive throughout.   An earthenware pot is ideal but failing that a heavy casserole dish will do fine.   Do not skimp on the olive oil.  And do skin the tomatoes if using fresh ones, so that the flesh can melt down to create the sublime sauce.