Polipo Fritto – Fried Octopus

“Fried octopus is one of the most loved recipes of Italian street food and can be considered as the Italian version of fish and chips,” says Fabrizio Cavallini, executive chef and co-founder of Monello. “Frying is the perfect way to cook octopus, because it makes a delicious but not too adventurous dish. What makes polipo fritto so popular is the perfect balance between the tenderness on the inside and the crispiness on the outside. Buon appetito!”

Polipo Fritto

1 onion (divided use)
4 stalks celery (divided use)
2 bay leaves
2 lbs. octopus
1 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
Salt and pepper to taste
2 c. flour
2 c. panko breadcrumbs
5 eggs

Chop the onion and celery. Place half of the onion, two of the chopped stalks of celery and the bay leaves in a stockpot with the octopus. Cover with water until it is fully submerged. Bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for two hours.

Remove the octopus and let it cool. Clean and separate the tentacles from the body. Dispose of the body and place the tentacles into a shallow container. Add oil (enough to coat the tentacles) and remaining onion and celery. Add garlic. Season with salt and pepper and let it marinate 24 hours in the refrigerator.

Put the flour, breadcrumbs and eggs in three separate bowls. Coat the octopus in flour, dip in the eggs and coat in breadcrumbs.

Lightly fry the octopus until golden brown.

Fabrizio Cavallini, Executive Chef, Co-founder
Monello
750 W. Fir St.
San Diego, CA 92101
619-501-0030