Octopus Bourguignon Recipe

Clean and tenderize

Rinse the octopus under cold water. Remove the beak and eyes if your fishmonger hasn't already. To tenderize, you can gently pound the thicker parts with a rolling pin or freeze and thaw once beforehand.

Poach octopus

In a large pot, combine 2 L water, 1 cup dry white wine, 2 bay leaves, 1 tbsp peppercorns, 2 tsp kosher salt, 4 crushed garlic cloves, 1 halved shallot and the halved lemon. Bring to a gentle simmer. Holding the octopus by the head, dip the tentacles into simmering liquid three times to curl, then submerge. Simmer gently (barely bubbling) for 45–60 minutes for a 2 lb octopus, until a knife or skewer meets little resistance at the thickest part. Do not boil vigorously or the octopus will toughen.

Cool and reserve

Remove the octopus and let cool slightly. Reserve the poaching liquid by straining it and set aside 1 cup for later use in the sauce/sofrito if needed. Chop the tentacles into 1–1½ inch pieces and the head into bite-size pieces.

In a wide sauté pan or shallow Dutch oven, heat 3 tbsp olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the finely diced onion, carrot and celery (1 cup each) and a pinch of salt. Cook gently, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and translucent, about 8–10 minutes—this develops the base flavor (the sofrito).

Add 2 tsp minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in 2 tbsp tomato paste and cook 2 minutes to caramelize, then deglaze with 3 tbsp red wine, scraping any browned bits from the pan.

Add 1 cup crushed tomatoes, 1 bay leaf and 2 sprigs thyme. Pour in up to 1/2 cup of the reserved octopus poaching liquid (or water/stock) to loosen the mixture. Simmer gently for 12–15 minutes until the sauce is cohesive and slightly reduced. Season with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Remove bay leaf and thyme stems before continuing.

Fold the chopped octopus pieces into the sofrito and simmer together 4–6 minutes until the octopus absorbs the flavors and is heated through. Taste and adjust seasoning.

While the sofrito simmers, make the bordelaise. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine 1 cup red wine and 2 tbsp minced shallot. Reduce until almost syrupy and the shallots are softened (about 8–10 minutes).

Add 1 cup demi-glace and 1 bay leaf and 1 tsp fresh thyme. Simmer 5–8 minutes to meld flavors and reduce slightly. Remove bay leaf and skim any foam.

Off the heat, whisk in 2 tbsp cold butter a piece at a time to finish and create a glossy sauce. Season with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. If the sauce is too thick, thin with a tablespoon of reserved poaching liquid or water to reach a spoonable consistency.

Stir about 2–3 tbsp of the finished bordelaise into the sofrito with octopus (reserve remaining sauce to serve on top). This layers a deep red-wine flavor into the cavatelli mixture.

Bring a large pot of salted water (add 1 tbsp salt) to a rolling boil. Cook 12 oz dried cavatelli according to package instructions until al dente (usually 8–10 minutes). Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water before draining.

Drain cavatelli and return to the pot. Toss with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter (optional) to keep from sticking. Add chopped parsley and lemon zest.

Fold the cavatelli into the octopus sofrito gently, adding up to 1/2 cup reserved pasta water if needed to loosen and coat the pasta. Heat together 1–2 minutes so flavors marry.

Plate cavatelli topped with pieces of octopus. Spoon remaining bordelaise sauce over the top or alongside. Garnish with additional parsley and an optional sprinkle of grated Parmesan. Serve immediately.