Oxtapodi Stifado

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 1 ½ kg octopus
• 8 tbsp oil
• 1 m.-sized onion(s)
• 1 garlic clove(s)
• 250 ml white wine (retsina or other dry white wine)
• 4 tomatoes, ripe or 1 can of tomatoes
• 1 small onion(s)
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour

Octopus with onions, Greek octopus goulash

Finely dice the onion and garlic clove. Make a cross-shaped cut in the tomatoes, pour hot water over them, peel them, and then crush them. Puree the canned tomatoes. Peel the small onions. Wash the octopus, pound it with a saucepan or meat tenderizer until soft (traditionally, pound it 100 times), and place it in a saucepan without water. Simmer gently until tender. The time varies depending on the animal, but it usually takes about 40 minutes. If it starts to burn, add a little oil or water and don’t set the heat too high. Drain and cut into small pieces, pushing the beak out of the bottom of the head. Heat the oil and sauté the onion until translucent. Add the garlic and octopus and let it brown. Deglaze with the wine, add the tomatoes, small onions, vinegar, and bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer until the octopus is nice and tender and the juices have thickened. Season to taste and serve with baguette or flatbread. Kali Orexi!