Anita and I were surprised to find a whole frozen octopus at the local Walmart Supercentre (yes, I'm sorry, we actually went shopping at the evil empire). So off we went, in search of a recipe that would make use of this frozen tentacled beast. And while preparing the octopus was a slimy and slightly gross affair, the end result was a delicious stew of whiskey fired octopus and potatoes in a tomato and white wine base.
Octopus Stew
Ingredients
2 lbs Octopus
3 tbsp Olive Oil
1 Red Onion, chopped
3 Cloves Garlic - finely chopped
2 tbsp Whiskey
300ml White Wine
2 x 14 oz cans Chopped Tomatoes
1 Chilli Pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4 tsp Paprika
1 lb Nugget Potatoes
Thyme, Rosemary to taste
4 cups Chicken or Fish Stock
Salt and Pepper, to Taste
Method
-Cut Octopus into large chunks, cover with water in pot, and bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for 45 minutes to tenderize Octopus. Drain and cut into bit sized chunks.
-Heat oil in large pan. Fry onion lightly, add garlic, then add octopus and fry for 2 minutes.
-Pour Whiskey over octopus and ignite. When flames die down, add wine and bring to boil. Simmer gently for 5 minutes.
-Stir in chopped tomatoes, chilli, paprika, potatoes, thyme and rosemary. Simmer another 5 minutes.
-Add chicken stock, season with salt and pepper, then simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
-Serve with bread.
Bon Appetit!
