Octopus, the final frontier part two

ok, so the blog never dies. Here's a few bits that need cleared out of the camera memory,
firstly Halloween
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Scary huh? (and late)

Now for the even scarier, having bought frozen octopus a couple months back it's time to get over waving the frozen packet at people and actually cook it.
First stop is the Globally Ubiquitous Search Engine, where I exercise my free will and select the the fifth link in.
Interesting, this guy seems to know what he's talking about, a wannabe Harold McGee. In fact it is the man himself, so lets get following the instructions, which are to roast the little cephalopods for 2 hours minimum at a low heat with appropriate aromatics.

I can handle that. The intent of this dish is to recreate a memory from my feckless youth enjoying pulpitos in tomato sauce in Barcelona. Not sure which was most memorable, the savour of the dish, the intensely red tomato sauce, the experience of being footloose with friends in one of the most culturally resonant European capitals, or a companion comparing them to shaved spiders.

No matter, I think I can do the red sauce bit.
So first stop is to burn a capiscum. And I mean actually burn it on the naked hob flame rather than accidently burning it in a sauce pan.

Which promptly gets shoved into an airtight container for reasons that remain mysterious to me and possibly even Harold McGee.
So returning to the octopuses (that is correct, I have an implicit Classical education by mere fact of being British and any fule kno octopus is Greek and thus the plural form is ...uses rather than ...i),
they have have been roasting for 2 hours at 175C and should be succulent little morsels swimming in luscious gravy.

 Hmm. The gravy appears not to be playing by the rules and manifested as a  caramelised veneer. No matter,  give it a little soak and simmer and something, albeit slightly carcinogenic,can be salvaged from it.

As to the matter of our precocious molluscs, they taste...okay.  I feel guilty about this as I have an irrational affection for octopus and squid - they will eventually inherit the earth after all, so time to get in the cop outs.

Plus elder son the Epicure has decided he wants some so this novelty dish is now having to feed three hungry people. And is very late.

Back to the comfort zone of the red sauce.  Aforementioned roasted pepper has been skinned and added to caramelised red onion, red chile and (red)carrots.  Bung the last of the paprika (c. 4 Tsp, but oldish) and we're back on track

Simmer with some tinned tomato a bit while cleaning and chopping spinach (NB serious tip here - a bit of grated nutmeg seems to conteract the acidic/tannic nature of spinach. Plus it apparently cost more than gold a few centuries back, so here's a chance to live like a king).

Have to serve with cousous because I'm all out of time. Briefly considered concentric circles of red, green and white but couldn't figure out which should go where. Plus family are about to start shouting at me so adopt the default serving of "fill the plate"

Consumer reaction:  Meh...Any more?
Cook's reaction:  Stick to squid - it's simpler, cheaper and slightly less unsettling. But if unsettling your dinner guests is the goal, go for more octopus and less sauce.