John Cioffi's Tasmanian Sea Dragon

Ingredients

• 1 small octopus, 1 to 1 1/2 pounds
• 5 to 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic
• ¼ cup wine vinegar
• ½ teaspoon salt, if desired
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• Several sprigs of parsley
• Dash Tabasco sauce (optional)
• Bibb lettuce

4 servings

Preparation

1. Have octopus cleaned at fish store. Soak for 1 hour. Rinse with fresh water.
2. In large pot, brown garlic in olive oil and add octopus, 1/8 cup vinegar, salt and pepper. Simmer, covered, 45 minutes, being careful to add water if liquid evaporates. Pot should have about 1/4 inch of liquid.
3. Add remaining wine vinegar and parsley and cook 30 minutes more. Octopus is done when fork-tender. Add more salt and pepper if needed, and Tabasco.
4. Remove octopus and reduce liquid in pan by rapid boiling for 10 minutes.
5. To serve, slice tentacles in bite-size pieces, arrange on a bed of lettuce and cover with gravy from pan. Can be served with rice.