Braised Octopus with Onions (Oktapodi Stifatho)
Servings Prep. Time Cooking Time Calories % from Fat Fat Sodium Carbohydrates Protein Cholesterol
6 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A


INGREDIENTS:
900 g/1 kg octopus, cleaned 400 g/14 oz can tomatoes 450 g/1 lb small whole onions, unpeeled
6 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf 1 sprig fresh rosemary 2 whole cloves
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 125 ml/4 fl oz red wine salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley



1 Place the cleaned octopus body and tentacles in a saucepan without any liquid (octopus creates its own juice). Cover and cook over a low heat for 20 minutes until it turns pink. Remove onto a board with a slotted spoon and cut the body and tentacles into 2.5 cm/1 in pieces. Reserve the cooking liquid.
2 Puree the tomatoes with their liquid or press through a sieve over a bowl; set aside. Carefully cut the roots and tops from 450 g/1 lb whole onions and cut a cross in the root end to prevent the middles from popping out. Place the onions in a bowl, cover with boiling water and allow to stand for 2 minutes. Drain and slop off the skins, leaving the onions whole.
3 Heat half the oil in a heavy saucepan. Add the whole onions and cook over a low heat until they begin to colour, stirring often. Remove and set aside.
4 Heat the remaining oil in a saucepan. Add the chopped onion and cook gently for about 10 minutes until transparent. Stir in the garlic and cook for several seconds. Add the prepared octopus and reserved liquid, tomatoes, bay leaf, rosemary, cloves, vinegar, wine, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer for 1-2 hours until the octopus is tender, adding the whole onions at the appropriate time. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.

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