Picture this. A gruelling 30 hour trip from wintery Sydney to Athens. A jet lagged bus trip from Athens Airport to Pireaus, followed by a four hour ferry trip. Queue collapsing on the main ferry port in Naxos. Thankfully, respite was at hand in the form of a little fisherman’s taverna which sat, slap bang on the ferry wharf.
To acclimatise his tastebuds to his homeland, Kosta ordered an ouzo. It came in a long, tall, chilled glass, with a small bowl of ice and a jug of super cold water. Next came warm eggplants smothered in garlic and a rustic tomato sauce, generous wedges of the piquant local graveia cheese, slices of ripe juicy tomato, fat briny-bitter olives and a plate of wonderful, tender pickled octopus with crisp, aromatic-fennel spiked vegetables.
The warm summer air, mixed with the ozoney scent of the sea, faintly brushed our bare arms and we watched the sun set from gold to a warm rose colour over Naxos’ famous Porta. Could there be a better welcome to beautiful Greece?
Luckily, the cook at the taverna was happy to share his recipe for octopus and vegetable toursi, with a rapturous, jet-lagged girl from Australia. His secret tip, use plenty of fresh herbs.
Naxiot octopus & vegetable toursi
Ingredients
- 1 Octopus medium
- 1 Carrot
- 1 stick Celery
- 1 Capsicum / red pepper
- 1 Garlic clove crushed
- 1 tea cup (250ml) Extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 tea cup (187.5ml) Greek wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp Dill fresh, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Flat leaf parsley fresh, finely chopped
- 1 tsp Greek smoked bukovo chilli flakes
- 2 Sterilized jars
- Lemon wedges to serve
Instructions
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To clean the octopus, pull off the tentacles and remove the intestines and ink sac. Cut out the eyes and beak. Remove the skin and rinse well.
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Place the body and tentacles of the octopus in a large saucepan without any liquid. Cover and simmer the octopus in its own juices over low heat until it turns deep pink and is tender (about 45–60 minutes). Drain the octopus. When cool enough to handle, cut the head and tentacles into bite-sized pieces and place in a bowl.
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Slice the vegetables very finely using a mandolin. Blanch in lightly salted boiling water for 5 minutes and set aside.
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Add the Greek wine vinegar into a small separate pot and add bring to the boil over medium heat. Turn the heat off, add the garlic, herbs, chili and olive oil and stir well to combine.
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Place pieces of octopus and vegetables in the jars and then pour the dressing into the jars (ensure the octopus is covered). Leave to marinate in the refrigerator for 12 hours before using. Stir occasionally. Store in your fridge for up to 1 month.
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To serve, lift the octopus and vegetables out of the marinade, pile into a dish and garnish with lemon wedges and plenty of finely chopped parsley (I like to stir this through before serving). Don't worry if the marinade seems a little thick after it has been in the fridge. It will become more liquid when the oil returns to room temperature.
