ITALIAN STEWED OCTOPUS IN WINE AND TOMATOES

ITALIAN STEWED OCTOPUS IN WINE AND TOMATOES image

Yield 2-3

Number Of Ingredients 13

1 lb octopus, preferably baby octopus
4 T. olive oil
4 cloves finely chopped garlic
1 cup crushed tomatoes or peeled, chopped fresh tomatoes
1 cup white wine
2 T. honey or sugar
2 T. chopped fresh dill
4 T. chopped fresh parsley
1 t. chile flakes
2 T. capers (optional)
Salt and pepper
(optional) 1 small bunch(1/2 box) of spaghetti(preferably thin spaghetti)
(optional-not at all necessary) 2-3 T. parmesan cheese

Steps:

Invert head of baby octopus(if not using regular octopus, which takes longer to cook) and remove any goo and rinse heads of octopus. Bring a large pot of salty water to a boil. Toss the octopus into the boiling water, return to a boil and cook for 1-2 minutes, then remove. Discard water. Pat and squeeze octopus dry in a paper/towel. Cut the octopus into large pieces(I prefer bite-size) and saute in olive oil over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and saute for another minute or two. Add the wine and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir well and let it cook down for 3-4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and chile flakes and bring to a simmer. Add about a teaspoon of salt and the honey or sugar. Mix well, cover the pot and simmer for 30 minutes. At 30 minutes, add the capers if you are using them, plus half the dill and half the parsley. Check the octopus -- sometimes small ones will be tender in just 30 minutes.{/p] If using full-size octopus, cover the pot again and simmer for up to another 20-45 minutes. (Octopus is done when a knife can be inserted and removed without effort, or when it doesn't taste chewy!). When you think you are about 7-10 minutes away from being done, uncover the pot and turn the heat up a little to cook down the sauce(if octopus tastes great, remove it and cook sauce alone at this point). To serve, add the remaining dill and parsley and black pepper. Eat this with pasta or bread either hot or at room temperature.