Braised octopus in garlicky tomato sauce with “chopped” macaroni is a classic Greek family dish. One bite and you will be transported to a seaside taverna.
But before the taverna comes the cooking. There are many ways to cook an octopus and most Greek cooks have their secrets and tips for meltingly tender octopus. The two steps I swear by are freezing a fresh octopus the night before you wish to use it and then defrost the next day. The second step is not boiling it in water but letting it cook in its own juices. And a final tip, my mother in law Sophia always pops a bay leaf or two and just a splash of white wine in the pot when boiling. The herbal notes go some way to lessening the seafood smells in your house.
Mum’s final tip: choose your octopus with care. The ones with two rows of suckers on their tentacles have better flavour than those with one.
Octopus with macaroni
Ingredients
- 1 fresh octopus about 1kg
- 4 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup white dry wine
- 1 cup grated tomatoes
- 1 tsp chili puree or to taste - see basics
- 5 cloves of garlic finely chopped
- 500 g chopped ‘kofto’ macaroni
- freshly ground pepper
- salt
Instructions
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Get your fishmonger to do the cleaning for you. To tenderise the flesh; freeze the freshly cleaned octopus overnight. The day you wish to cook, defrost the octopus.
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Add a splash of white wine and two bay leaves to a sauce pan, slowly warm and then add the octopus. Allow it to cook in its own juices until it changes colour. It should be tender to the point of a knife. Remove from the pot and allow to cool slightly. Peel away the dark coloured skin and discard. Chop the remaining octopus into bite size pieces.
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Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and add the chopped garlic, sauté until fragrant. Then add the wine and allow it to simmer to evaporate the alcohol. Next add the grated tomato, chilli puree and remaining bay leaves. Stir to combine and add the octopus. Season lightly to taste. Simmer for around 30 minutes.
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In a seperate pot, bring salted water to the boil and cook the pasta following the packet instructions until nearly just done. Drain and then add to the octopus sauce. Toss well to combine and allow the nearly cooked pasta to absorb a little of the sauce and cook until al dente. Turn off the heat and allow the dish to rest for a few minutes before serving.
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Serve with a few freshly chopped herbs and grated pecorino cheese.
