Octopus in Red Wine
Ingredients
- 2 0.3 lb young octopus, cleaned and cut in 1.5-inch pieces
- 8 tbsp olive oil
- 12 oz small onions or shallots
- 0.7 cup red wine
- 6 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 8 oz canned tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 4 leaves bay leaves
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- 1
Clean the octopus: pull off tentacles, remove and discard the intestines, ink sac, eyes, and beak. Skin the octopus, wash and scrub thoroughly to remove sand. Cut into 1.5 to 2-inch pieces.
- 2
Place octopus in a saucepan over medium heat to release its liquid. Stir until the liquid has evaporated.
- 3
Pour in the olive oil and stir to seal octopus on all sides. Add the whole onions and cook, stirring once or twice, until they colour slightly.
- 4
Add red wine, vinegar, tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaves, oregano, and several grindings of pepper. Stir well, cover, and simmer very gently for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, checking occasionally that the sauce has not dried out. Add a little wine or water if needed.
- 5
The octopus is done when it can be easily pierced with a skewer. The sauce should be thick like a runny paste. If sauce separates, remove lid, slightly increase heat, and stir until thickened.
- 6
Discard bay leaves and stir in parsley. Serve with rice and salad.