Giant octopus caught off New Zealand( + Recipe)

[Athenaeus]

Ok

First it was the bizarre squid, now that!!!

"WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Reuters) -- Scientists have identified what they believe is the largest octopus ever seen, a four-meter (13-foot) long giant hauled from the depths near New Zealand's remote Chatham Islands. "

"But down here in New Zealand, this is an area which is so poorly explored that its not surprising that we're getting all these weird and wonderful animals.

"The frightening thing is that we are getting an animal like this newly reported in New Zealand waters today ... so new and large, you've got to sit down and ask yourself 'What is it we know about the deep sea environment?',"

For more and for a frigthtening photo of the creature click
Here -Cnn.com(USA)

Now

In Greece with love octopus!!

Since we are in lent now and today is Friday this is what I made for lunch

Octopus yahni with Pasta

2 pounds octopus
2 large onions
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups of tomato juice
cut pasta

In a pan with hot olive oil sautez the onion for a couple of minutes. Place the octopus and leave it to cook until is almost done.
Add the tomato juice.
Afetr 5 minutes remove the octopus and add the pasta to cook in the pan. Add extra water ONLY if is absolutely necessary.

When the pasta is almost ready add the octopus cut in pieces.

Enjoy

[Athenaeus]

Please add your recipes

[cape chef]

I love octopus too, although I don't see many in the Long island sound

I do enjoy it at time.
I hope you like this recipe.

Ithacan Octopus Ragout with tomatoes and celery.

The word capama comes from the turkish for “to cover”
It is a name given to many different kinds of stews all around Greece.

This recipe is a type of capama, they are usaully done with lemon based sauces, but in Ionian, Toamtoes reigns.

¼ cup olive oil
2 cups coarsely chopped celery (with leaves) plus 1 teaspoon celery seeds
2 large red onions, halfed and thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 medium fresh or frozen Octopus (cleaned)
1 cup dry white wine
2 bay leaves
1 cup peeled and chopped plum tomatoes
milled black pepper.

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot and cook the celery and celery seeds onions and garlic over medium heat, stirring until soft, about 8 minutes.

Add the octopus, cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 25 minutes. Remove the octopus from the pot and cut into 8 pieces. Return to the pot. Add the wine, bay leaves, and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook covered, until the octopus is very tender and the sauce becomes thick. Another 45 minutes or so. Remove the bay leaves, season with black pepper and serve

Recipe from "The Glorious foods of Greece" by Diane Kochilas

[Athenaeus]

thanks cape chef!!

Do you know that Ithaca is Ulysses home????

Interesting...

In Peloponnese we call your recipe Argetiko from Arga that means slowly.
This dish must be cooked slowly for hours

[Athenaeus]

It seems that cooking octopus is a Greek habit!

I have a friend from the south that the first time she visited Greece ( we were 15 then) she refused to eat octopus because she was afraid of it!!!!

So one day I pushed her on the wall, grabbed her nose until she opened her mouth and I made her eat one piece!!

She liked it! She actually wrote a three pages letter to her mom to narrate her experience.( how many " wows" and "cool" might a letter contain...)
Americans...