Tiella di Gaeta

La storia di questo piatto

Tiella di Gaeta is the secret whispered between the Tyrrhenian cliffs and the fishing boats at dawn — a coastal soul compressed between two layers of golden crust, where octopus surrenders its briny wildness to the dark, bitter embrace of Gaeta olives. It belongs to a town that has always lived between sea and stone, where hunger was answered with ingenuity and the ocean gave what the land could not.

Ingredienti

• 800 g Fresh octopus
• 200 g Gaeta black olives
• 500 g Soft wheat flour
• 300 ml Warm water
• 15 g Fresh baker's yeast
• 10 g Sea salt
• 80 ml Extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves Garlic
• 1 piece Red chili pepper
• 20 g Fresh parsley
• 2 whole Lemon
• 200 g Canned peeled tomatoes

Preparazione

1. Place the octopus in a pot and cover it completely with cold water. Add a pinch of salt, one clove of garlic crushed with the palm of your hand, and half a lemon cut in two. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat (you'll see large bubbles rising quickly), then reduce the heat to the lowest setting until you see only small bubbles moving slowly across the bottom. The octopus is ready when you insert a knife into the tentacles and the tip slides in easily like into a soft banana—when you touch it with your fingers, it will feel tender and yielding, no longer firm.
2. Dissolve the yeast in a cup of lukewarm water (the right temperature is what feels like a gentle caress when you dip your finger in it—not hot, or it will kill the yeast). In a large bowl, pour the flour and salt. With your fingers, create a well in the center like a fountain. Pour the yeast water into the well and start mixing gently with your hands, dragging the flour from the edges toward the center. When the mixture is still sticky, add the 40ml of olive oil and continue kneading by hand for 10 minutes. You'll notice the dough becomes increasingly less sticky, smoother and more elastic—when you stretch it, it won't tear immediately but resists like rubber.
3. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth or a lid and place it in a warm, quiet spot: near a sunny window, or on top of a turned-off oven. Wait for the dough to double in volume—to check, lift the cloth and observe the height. To verify if it's ready, gently poke your finger into the dough: if the hole doesn't close back up immediately but remains marked, it means the yeast has done its job.
4. Remove the cooked octopus from the pot with a slotted spoon and place it on a plate. Let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes until you can touch it without burning yourself. Then, with a knife, cut it into pieces about 2 to 3 centimeters in size (about the size of a knuckle). Take the olives and, with the tip of a knife, make a small incision, then press gently to extract the pit. In a large skillet, pour 30ml of olive oil and heat it over medium heat: when you see the first light wisp of vapor and the oil begins to shimmer, add one clove of garlic minced very finely and a fresh red chili pepper (whole if you want it less spicy, sliced if you want it spicier). Stir for 1 to 2 minutes until you smell an intense aroma of garlic and chili pepper—this is the signal that they are sufficiently hot.
5. Add the octopus pieces and olives to the skillet. Pour in 100ml of white wine (about half a glass) and you'll immediately hear a burst of steam—this is normal. With a wooden spoon, mix well, scraping the bottom of the skillet to gather all the flavors stuck to the surface. Let it cook for 5 minutes over medium heat: the alcohol smell from the wine will gradually disappear (you'll notice it less), which means the wine is reducing. When the liquid is almost gone, add the peeled tomatoes (or diced), a generous handful of fresh parsley chopped fine, a pinch of salt and a little pepper. Mix gently.
6. Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it with your hands into two roughly equal pieces. Take the first piece and place it on an oiled baking sheet (25x35cm). With your palms open, start from the center of the sheet and press the dough toward the edges with gentle, even movements, as if you were spreading it out on a table. It should remain as thick as half a finger (about 5-7mm—check by placing your finger next to it). Distribute the octopus filling on top evenly, but leave a space of 2 to 3 centimeters empty around the edges of the sheet.
7. Take the second piece of dough and stretch it the same way until it completely covers the filling and reaches the edges of the baking sheet. Now seal the edges: dampen your fingers with a little water and, starting from one corner, run them around the entire perimeter, pressing the two pieces of dough together firmly—it must be well sealed. With a fork or the tips of your fingers, make small holes (5-6mm in diameter) scattered across the surface, at a distance of about 5 centimeters from one another: these holes allow steam to escape and prevent the dough from puffing up too much in the oven.
8. Cover the baking sheet with a damp cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature: the dough will relax and rise a bit more. Meanwhile, turn on the oven and bring it to 200°C (if you have a gas oven, set the dial to 200°C; if it's electric, wait for the temperature-reached signal). After 30 minutes, place the baking sheet in the oven on the middle rack. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the surface becomes golden and crispy: look through the oven window (don't open it often because heat will escape). When the surface is golden and you press lightly on the edge with a finger, it should not sink in but spring back immediately.
9. Remove the baking sheet from the oven carefully: it's very hot, use two thick oven mitts. Let it rest for 5 minutes at room temperature—during this time, the interior will set and become easier to cut. With a sharp, clean knife, cut the focaccia into rectangular portions of about 8x12 centimeters (like a traditional focaccia). Serve it warm (not piping hot), so you can better appreciate the flavors of the filling and the softness of the dough.