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Folpetti lessi
Boiled baby octopus
Folpetti: Venetian boiled baby octopus with lemon and parsley
In the bacari (wine bars) of Venice, around the Rialto market, folpetti sit warm in a tray on the counter and are speared with a toothpick as a cicchetto, the city's small bite eaten standing up before lunch or after work. They are tiny musky octopus from the lagoon, simply boiled until tender and dressed with olive oil, lemon, garlic and parsley. The texture should be tender with a slight bite, never rubbery. Chef's tip: let the octopus cool in its cooking water for 15 minutes; it finishes softening gently and soaks up flavour.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ lb baby octopuscleaned, beaks and eyes removed by the fishmonger
- 1 lemonhalf sliced, half juiced
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlicfinely chopped
- 3 tbsp flat-leaf parsleychopped
- ½ tsp black pepper
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Rinse 1 ¾ lb baby octopus well under cold water, rubbing them to remove any grit.
Step 2: Bring a large pan of water to the boil with 2 bay leaves, 1 celery stick, the sliced half of ½ lemon and 1 tsp salt.
Step 3: Holding each octopus by the head, dip the tentacles into the boiling water three times until they curl, then drop it in. Simmer gently for 30–40 minutes, until a skewer slides easily into the thickest part of a tentacle. Common mistake: boiling hard; a rolling boil toughens octopus. Keep it at a gentle simmer.
40 minStep 4: Turn off the heat and leave the octopus in the water for 15 minutes, then drain.
15 minStep 5: While still warm, toss with 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, the juice from the rest of the lemon, 1 clove garlic, 3 tbsp flat-leaf parsley and ½ tsp black pepper. Serve warm with toothpicks, or keep in the fridge and eat within 2 days.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 170 kcal
- Protein
- 25 g
- Carbs
- 3 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does folpetti lessi take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of bay leaves?
- Leave it out, or a pinch of dried thyme (it's a background flavour).
- What can I use instead of celery stick?
- Fennel, same weight.
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