Greek-Style Octopus: A recipe for a typical Greek stew
Greek-style octopus is a typical main course in Greek cuisine. A very popular dish in coastal Greece, though less well-known than other traditional recipes like moussaka, pita bread, and souvlaki, it's made with fresh octopus, tomato puree, and red wine.
- fresh octopus, 700 gr
- Red wine, 150 ml
- Tomato puree, 120 g
- Cloves, 4-5
- Onion, 1 small
- Bay leaf, 1-2 leaves
- Garlic, 1 clove
- Extra virgin olive oil, to taste
- Sale, q.b.
- pepe, q.b.
- To prepare Greek-style octopus, first clean the octopus: remove the innards, delicately remove the eyes with a pair of kitchen scissors and remove the horny beak located in the centre of the tentacles (1).
- Then rinse the mollusc under running water, drain it carefully and cut it into pieces about 5 cm wide (2).
- Let the octopus cook in a non-stick pan without adding fat, stirring occasionally (3): after about 20 minutes the mollusc will begin to release its water.
- Brown until all the liquid has evaporated (4).
- Then sprinkle with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and add a mixture of garlic and onion (5).
- After a few minutes, flavor with cloves and bay leaves (6).
- Pour the tomato puree (7).
- Wet with red wine (8) and season with salt and pepper.
- Then cover with the lid (9) and leave to simmer gently for about 1 hour.
- When the octopus is tender and the bottom has thickened (10), remove from the heat.
- Distribute the Greek-style octopus on individual plates (11), bring to the table and serve.
Here the octopus, browned in a non-stick pan without adding fat, is enriched with spices and aromatic herbs and with chopped garlic and onion, then left to simmer gently with tomato sauce and red wine for about 1 hour, or until its flesh is tender and rich in flavor.
An excellent alternative to the classic grilled octopus, this exquisite dish is perfect served with slices of toasted bread for the inevitable final mopping up.
Learn how to prepare Greek-style octopus with step-by-step instructions and tips. If you enjoyed this recipe, also try Octopus Luciana and Octopus Pignata, or try your hand at stewed octopus.
How to prepare Greek-style octopus
To prepare Greek-style octopus, first clean the octopus: remove the innards, gently remove the eyes with a pair of kitchen scissors and remove the horny beak located in the center of the tentacles 1.
Cook the octopus in a non-stick pan without adding fat, stirring occasionally 3: after about 20 minutes the mollusc will begin to release its water.
Sauté until all the liquid has evaporated 4.
Then drizzle with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and add a chopped garlic and onion 5.
When the octopus is tender and the sauce has thickened 10, remove from the heat.
