You can go Greek with this delightful stew which happens to be one of my favourites.
Htapothi Stifatho (Octopus Stewed with Onions & Tomato)
Ingredients:
4 1/2 pounds of octopus, fresh or frozen (defrosted)
1 1/4 pounds of whole shallots (pearl onions), peeled (or medium onions, cut in strips)
2 1/2 cups pulped fresh tomatoes (or canned chopped stewed tomatoes)
1 clove of garlic, minced
7/8 cup of olive oil
1 cup of water
1 tablespoon of good quality red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper
3 bay leaves
Preparation:
A note about octopus: Octopus loses a lot of its volume during cooking, so expect that the finished dish will look like quite a bit less than the original quantity.
If the octopus has not been cleaned: Under running water, remove and discard the ink sac, stomach, and eyes from the large head cavity.
Place the whole octopus in a pot with enough boiling water to to cover generously. When it resumes boiling, cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and drain. When cool enough to handle, rub the octopus with your hands under running water to remove the dark outer membrane. This comes off fairly easily, and if it doesn't all come off, that's all right. Cut octopus into small (1/2 to 1 inch) pieces.
In a large pot, bring the olive oil to medium heat and sauté the onions and octopus for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the water and continue to cook for 5 minutes more, stirring to make sure the onions aren't sticking to the bottom.
Add the tomato pulp and garlic, bring to a low boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered for 35-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the vinegar, pepper, and bay leaves, stir well, and let cook for another minute. Remove from the heat at allow to sit 10 minutes before serving.
Alternative: Htapothi Krasato (Stewed with wine)
Reduce water by half and add 1/2 cup of dry red wine and a stick of cinnamon with the tomato pulp
http://greekfood.about.com/od/fishentrees/r/htapostifatho.htm
2007-10-22 07:15:50
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answer #1
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answered by Pelion 4
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Cut the tenacles about 1/4" wide into rings and coat with flour and fry in an inch of 350 degree oil.
2007-10-22 14:06:28
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answer #2
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answered by sensible_man 7
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