Octopus with Polenta and Beans

A recipe contributed by Rafucho

Ingredients

    For the Octopus:
  • 1 cooked octopus
  • 2 spoons of olive oil
  • 2 spoons of paprika
    For the Polenta:
  • 1 cup of polenta
  • 4 cups of chicken stock
  • 2 spoons of butter
  • salt to taste
    For the Beans:
  • 200 grams of cooked black beans
  • 100 grams of grated mozzarella cheese
  • 1 big bell pepper
  • 1 small onion
  • salt to taste

Preparation

Heat the chicken stock until it boils, add the polenta and stir it for a minute until fully dissolved. Then reduce heat to medium and continue cooking the polenta during 25 minutes while constantly stirring it. Add the salt and the butter, mix well and set it aside.

Dice the small onion and bell pepper. Stir fry at low temperature with very little amount of olive oil (just to coat the pan). Add salt to taste. When the onion and peppers are softened, add the black beans, and continue cooking for a couple of minutes until the beans are fully heated.

Heat the cooked octopus into a steaming basket for few minutes. Cut the cooked octopus tentacles in small cylindrical pieces. Sprinkle the pieces generously with olive oil. Set a bed of polenta in each plate and put the octopus pieces on top, covering half of the polenta bed surface. Sprinkle the octopus with paprika. Cover the remaining half of the polenta bed with grated mozzarella cheese. Serve the black beans with onion and bell pepper on top of it.

Additional Information

Servings and Preparation Time. This recipe serves 4 persons and requires about 30 to 40 minutes to be prepared.

Pairing suggestions. Best if served with a glass of Albariño but also enjoyable with Riesling or Pinot Grigio.