In dialect, it’s called purpu alla pignata and it is an ancient recipe from Salento. The pignata octopus owes its origin to the seafaring culture of this part of Puglia.
The octopus is cooked with tomato, potatoes, onion, celery, and carrots in the pignata, an earthenware clay pot suitable for long, slow cooking and a natural cuisine that perfectly retains the natural ingredient’s properties.
Pignata Octopus recipe
Ingredients: to make the pignata octopus you will need 1 octopus of about 3 lb, 1 lb of cherry tomatoes, 3 medium-sized potatoes, garlic, onion, parsley, white wine, extra virgin olive oil, and chili pepper.
Method: to make this Salentina octopus, it needs to be very soft. One of the most adapted methods to tenderize is to beat the octopus with a rolling pin, which is necessary to break down the octopus meat fibers and soften it before cooking.
The octopus is then cut into pieces, not too small and put in the pignata with garlic, parsley, cherry tomatoes, and potatoes. All without water because as Salento tradition dictates the octopus needs to cook in its own water. Cook it over a low heat, covering the pignata with its lid.
When the octopus begins to take on its distinct pink color it’s time to add half a glass of white wine and let it continue cooking for at least an hour or until the octopus can be easily pierced with a fork. At that point, the dish is ready to be plated and served with bread croutons.