Aegean Islands Chtapodi Xidato (Χταπόδι Ξιδάτο)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •heavy lidded pot, 24cm
• •glass or ceramic dish, about 1.5L
• •fine-mesh sieve

Instructions

1. 1

   Clean the octopus

   Rinse the octopus under cold water, especially inside the head, then drain it well. Leave the skin and suckers alone; they give the finished pieces their purple-black color. If the beak is still in place at the center of the arms, push it out with your thumb and discard it.

2. 2

   Start it dry

   Put the octopus in a heavy lidded pot with the bay leaves and peppercorns. Add no salt, no oil, and no water. Cover tightly and set over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the octopus releases its own red-brown liquid, then lower the heat.

   The octopus gives you the cooking liquor. If you drown it at the start, you wash away the briny flavor that makes xidato itself.
3. 3

   Simmer until tender

   Cook gently for 45 to 70 minutes, turning the octopus once or twice. A skewer should slip into the thickest tentacle with only a little resistance. Boil it hard and it stays stubborn; keep it low and covered and it relaxes. If the pot is nearly dry before the octopus is tender, add up to 60ml hot water, just enough to protect the bottom.

   No cork in the pot. Tenderness comes from low heat, time, and a covered pan.
4. 4

   Rest and measure

   Take the pot off the heat and leave the octopus covered in its liquid for 20 minutes. Lift it out to a board, then strain the cooking liquid into a cup and measure 120ml. Taste it. If it is fiercely salty, use 80ml cooking liquid and 40ml boiled water instead.

5. 5

   Slice the octopus

   Cut the tentacles into 2cm pieces and slice the head into strips. Keep the pieces generous. This is not chopped salad; it should still eat like octopus.

6. 6

   Steep in vinegar

   In a glass or ceramic dish, mix the vinegar, measured cooking liquid, oregano, and the optional crushed garlic. Add the warm octopus and turn it well so every piece is coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight, turning once if you remember. The vinegar belongs here, after tenderness is won, not as a harsh boil in the pot.

7. 7

   Serve the fast

   Bring the octopus to cool room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before serving. Spoon over a little of the sharp marinade and rub a pinch more oregano between your fingers if you like. For strict Clean Monday, stop there. When the fast allows oil, finish with the Koroneiki olive oil at the table, not before.

Chef Tips

• •Buy frozen octopus without shame. Freezing does what the old beating on rocks used to do: it helps the flesh loosen. Choose octopus with a clean sea smell and firm flesh; if it smells of ammonia, leave it.
• •Do not salt the pot. Octopus brings its own brine, and the cooking liquid concentrates as it simmers. Salt at the end only if your tongue asks for it, which it usually won't.
• •Keep the steeping dish glass or ceramic. Vinegar sitting for hours in reactive metal can give you a taste you didn't ask for.
• •For Clean Monday, keep it oil-free if you're observing the strict fast. For a Saturday Lenten table, or for non-fasters, a spoon of green-gold olive oil at the end is enough. Λίγα και καλά.
• •Serve with lagana, olives, and boiled greens. This is nistisimo food, not an afterthought, and it has fed Greek fasting tables for centuries.

Advance Preparation

• •Thaw frozen octopus in the refrigerator for 24 hours before cooking.
• •The octopus can be cooked and steeped up to 2 days ahead. Keep it covered in the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature before serving.
• •If serving strict fasters and non-fasters at the same table, keep the olive oil separate and let each person finish their own plate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 250g)