Greek Octopus Stew With Potatoes

Simple and easy octopus stew recipe with potatoes, tomato-wine sauce, and plenty of extra virgin olive oil. Stewed octopus gets so tender and brings all of its meaty seafood flavor, into the sauce (yes! This dish calls for some serious bread-dipping).

Ingredients

The stewed octopus recipe is a popular one among Greek islands. The ingredients are few and basic because octopus is full of flavor, and doesn't need much seasonings. Only the following:

• Octopus (fresh or frozen)
• Red Wine Sweet (or semi-sweet)
• Potatoes (such as Yukon Gold or Fingerling)
• Onions
• Bay Leaf (you can also use rosemary)
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Tomato Paste
• Ground Pepper (+ some freshly ground to serve with)

How To Make Octopus Stew

It's so simple! You first slow-cook octopus with the onions, bay leaf, and wine until it becomes tender. Then add the tomato paste, pepper, olive oil, and potatoes. Simmer until the sauce thickens and the potatoes are cooked.

IMPORTANT: After adding the potatoes you need to shake the pot often and stir the contents (preferably with a flat wooden spoon to be able to scrape the bottom). Because as the sauce thickens the octopus tends to get sticky.

Adding Salt

Octopus doesn't need salt! Yes, as long as it's fished in the Mediterranean Sea. When I make this stew with octopus fished around our island (Lefkas) I never add salt. In fact sometimes I even discard the first water it boils in because it's too salty. Usually when the octopus is too large.

If I buy an octopus that's frozen and fished somewhere else I always taste it to see if it needs salt. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. So if you're cooking octopus especially fresh octopus it is better to taste the sauce (as is the case in this recipe) to see if you need to add any salt to it.

Preparing Octopus

To prepare octopus for stew first thaw in the fridge overnight (if using frozen octopus). Or add it to a big bowl with water for a couple of hours at room temperature to thaw.

Second, separate each leg from the body. Then cut the thicker part of each leg into 5-6 cm (2-2⅓-inch) long pieces. The thinner part of the leg, (that looks like a tail) cut it into longer pieces of about 10 cm (4-inch).

Finally, cut and remove the center piece right at the base of the body where the legs and the head meet. That's where the teeth are located so discard it. Slice open the head, rinse well under cold water because it may contain sand in there, and pull any membranes from the inside of the head. Cut the head into 5-6 cm (2-2⅓-inch) pieces as well.

Make Ahead

You can cook the octopus on the first day up to the point you are about to add the potatoes (step 7 of the recipe) and then reheat and finish off the next day.

Storing

This octopus stew will keep in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days but the longer it sits the less nice the potatoes will taste.

Serve With

I'm sure you're tired of hearing this serving suggestion but yes, it's feta cheese again! It's a Greek thing to serve most dishes with a big piece of feta cheese on the side. And this octopus in tomato sauce is no exception, they're so good together!

Now if you're looking for side dishes, then some steamed rice instead of bread, or a Greek salad such as Greek Cabbage Salad, or a Greek Lettuce Salad. Or serve with some spicy Baked Feta In Foil (so good!).

Recipe