Polpetielli alla Luciana

Recipe second for 4 people based on True polyps.

Preparation:

Preparation: Clean the polyps by turning the bag upside down and emptying it, depriving them of the eyes (not to be confused with the suckers on the tentacles!), a small bone (the beak) which they have at the base of the bag and washing them. Cook them over low heat and covered, in a clay pot with a glass of water (better still sea water) for 20 minutes to 3/4 of an hour: it depends on the size of the polyps. Salt at the end if necessary. Drain them, cut them into small pieces, season them with garlic, minced or whole, oil, lemon, plenty of parsley and pepper. Prepare them a little in advance so that they have time to absorb the flavors in the sauce. Very large octopuses can also be cooked in the same way, if you use the trick of beating them vigorously with a rod to weaken them and make them tender. The ideal would be baby octopuses weighing 100 g each. The 'verace' octopus must have two parallel rows of suckers on its tentacles, if it had only one it would be a vulgar 'sinisco', inhabitant of slums rather than rocks, like its noble relative. However, the difference is not all here: the 'verace' is cloaked in a spotted brown coat with precious pink shades, while the humble 'sinisco' is satisfied with a less refined and lively attire. An old fisherman from Pozzuoli explains that there are absolutely no relationships between the two races, in such different and distant spheres they live; they each keep to themselves and ignore each other. However, it must be said in defense of the poor modest sinisco that, even if it has less perfume than the 'true' one, it is not even to be despised. In the absence of its tastiest counterpart, you could accept it, especially if it will be 'drowned' in a sauce in which the oil and tomato mixed with its natural, albeit limited fragrance, will have wrapped it with garlic and parsley, in a tasty stew. Boiled 'Luciana' and seasoned only with oil and lemon, I can't recommend it: such simplicity should be the only prerogative of the most fragrant 'true'.