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Fish, Italy

Octopus alla luciana with grilled bread

Octopus alla luciana is a Neapolitan fishermen's braise made with octopus, tomatoes, black olives and capers, served with grilled bread. For 4 people, it takes about 1 hour 40 minutes, medium difficulty, and costs around €4.80 per person. The trick is braising the octopus with the lid on and no added water, so it releases its own juices.

Octopus alla luciana is a Neapolitan fishermen's dish, slow braised with tomatoes, olives and capers, served with bread to soak up the sauce.

Octopus alla luciana with grilled bread
Total time
1 h 40
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€4.80
Calories per person
550 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Summer, Fall

Octopus alla luciana gives you tender meat that pulls apart easily, sitting in a tomato sauce seasoned by the salt of the olives and the bite of the capers. A pinch of chile wakes everything up without overwhelming it, and fresh parsley adds a bright finish. The grilled bread isn't an afterthought, it's there to mop up every bit of sauce.

This is a dish for a Sunday or a weeknight when you have some time on your hands, since the braise needs almost an hour and a half of slow simmering. It works well for a dinner with guests who enjoy bold Mediterranean flavors. Because octopus has a distinctive texture, it's better suited to curious adults than to young kids.

The ingredients

4 people

Frozen foods

  • Frozen octopus, thawed 1 kg

Pantry

  • Crushed tomatoesoften in the pantry 500 g
  • Black olivesoften in the pantry 80 g
  • Capersoften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Chileoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Garlic 3 cloves
  • Parsley 6 sprigs

Bakery

  • Country bread 8 slices

Allergens Mollusks, Gluten

The step by step recipe

  1. Cut the octopus into large chunks.

    Rinse the octopus under cold water to remove any traces of ice or sand.

  2. Put it in a Dutch oven with the olive oil, garlic and chile. 10 min

    Cover as soon as the octopus is in the pot, it needs to braise in its own steam.

  3. Add the tomatoes, olives and capers.

    Don't salt until you taste at the end of cooking, the olives and capers already add salt.

  4. Cover and simmer over very low heat. 1 h 10

    Place a piece of parchment paper under the lid, it traps the steam inside.

  5. Grill the bread and serve the octopus with the sauce and parsley. 3 min

    Rub the grilled bread with a garlic clove, it flavors the whole dish.

Our tips to get it right

  • Thaw the octopus in the fridge the night before rather than at the last minute, the meat cooks more evenly that way.
  • Keep the lid on the whole time it braises, every time you lift it you lose steam and the cooking takes longer.
  • Check tenderness with the tip of a knife after 70 minutes, it should slide in easily, if not give it a few more minutes.

The variations

  • Swap the black olives for pitted green olives for a slightly tangier sauce.
  • For a version without fish or shellfish, replace the octopus with shredded oyster mushrooms and cut the cooking time to 20 minutes.
  • For a faster weeknight version, use precooked octopus and shorten the simmer to 30 minutes.

What to serve it with

  • A glass of dry white wine
  • A lemony arugula salad
  • Steamed potatoes

Storage

Octopus alla luciana keeps for 2 days in the fridge in a sealed container. It freezes well once cooled, in an airtight container, for up to 2 months. Reheat gently in a covered pot over low heat, adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much.

Questions about this dish

Do you need to tenderize the octopus before cooking?

No, not with this long braising method. The 70 minute simmer is enough to make the meat tender without any extra step beforehand.

Can you make this dish ahead of time?

Yes, it's actually recommended since the sauce tastes better after resting. Cook the octopus the day before and reheat it gently the next day before serving.

Can you leave out the capers if you don't like them?

You can skip them without any issue, the sauce stays balanced thanks to the olives and the chile. It will just taste a bit less briny.

What bread works if you don't have a country loaf?

A slightly stale baguette or a rye bread both work well, as long as the crumb is dense enough to hold up when dipped. The key is grilling it right before serving.

How long does it take to make an octopus alla luciana with grilled bread?

Count 1 h 40 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in an octopus alla luciana with grilled bread?

About 550 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does an octopus alla luciana with grilled bread cost?

About €4.80 per serving, or €19.20 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains mollusks, gluten. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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