Ktapodi krasato

Greek octopus in red wine is a simple, robust dish from Greek cuisine. The octopus is first slowly stewed in its own juices and then gently simmered in red wine with onion, bay leaves and a small cinnamon stick. The result is butter-tender octopus in a deep, warm, dark red wine sauce; only add salt if it truly turns out to be necessary.

Serves: 4
Preparation: approx. 15 minutes
Cooking: approx. 60 minutes
Total time: approx. 75 minutes

Ingredients

For 4 people

• 1 octopus of about 1–1.2 kg, cleaned
• 2 medium onions
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 small cinnamon stick (about 5 cm)
• 250 ml dry red wine (preferably Greek, otherwise a full-bodied dry red wine)
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• freshly ground black pepper
• optionally a little salt, only if needed

Preparation

• Defrost and check the octopus
  Let the octopus, if frozen, fully defrost in the fridge. Preferably ask the fishmonger to clean the octopus (remove the beak, ink sac and eyes). At home, check that everything has indeed been removed.
• Clean and cut the octopus
  Rinse the octopus briefly under cold running water and pat dry well with kitchen paper. Cut the tentacles into large pieces. You can also leave them whole for a more rustic presentation and cut them into larger pieces later.
• Onions
  Peel the onions and slice them into half-rings.

Method

1. Preheat a heavy pan
   Place a large, heavy pan (for example a cast-iron casserole) over a medium-high heat and let the pan get properly hot, without oil.
2. Place the octopus in the dry pan
   Put the octopus in the dry pan. It will soon release liquid.
3. Stew the octopus gently in its own juices
   Turn the heat to low, put the lid on the pan and let the octopus stew gently in its own juices for 20–30 minutes. Spoon over or turn occasionally so everything cooks evenly.
4. Check the liquid during stewing
   Check partway through: there should be enough liquid left in the pan. If there is a lot of liquid, you can set the lid slightly askew so some can evaporate.
5. Assess the first stage of cooking
   After this initial stewing time, the octopus should already have started to cook, but not yet be completely butter-tender.
6. Add onion, bay leaves, cinnamon and wine
   Now add the onions, bay leaves, the cinnamon stick and the red wine to the pan.
7. Bring to the boil and let it simmer gently
   Raise the heat slightly until the contents just come to the boil, stir everything gently, then turn the heat low again. Let it simmer gently without the lid.
8. Simmer until the octopus is butter-tender
   Let the octopus simmer for about another 30 minutes, or until it is butter-tender. Check doneness by pricking the thickest tentacle with a fork: this should go in easily.
9. Reduce the sauce and adjust
   Let the liquid reduce during this time to a glossy, dark red sauce that is lightly syrupy and coats the pieces of octopus nicely. If the sauce stays too thin, let it reduce a little longer. If it becomes too thick, add a small splash of water.
10. Finish with olive oil, pepper and optional salt
    Remove the pan from the heat. If you like, take the cinnamon stick and bay leaves out of the sauce. Stir in the extra virgin olive oil for shine and a rounded flavour. Grind over plenty of black pepper. Taste the sauce: only add a little salt if needed – octopus and reduced cooking juices are often already quite salty.
11. Let the dish rest and serve
    Put the lid back on the pan and let the dish rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve the octopus and sauce in warmed deep bowls or on a platter. Serve with boiled potatoes, chips, orzo (κριθαράκι) or good farmhouse bread to mop up the sauce. Optionally put some lemon wedges on the table for those who want a fresh touch. Ideally, pour a glass of the same red wine you used in the dish.