Octopus is cooked in a variety of ways in Madeira. This stew is richly flavoured and absolutely delicious. Serve crusty bread along with the potatoes if you like, to mop up every last bit of sauce.
Ingredients
- Octopus 1 large, cleaned and cut into chunks
- Olive Oil 4 Tbs
- Onion 1 large, chopped
- Garlic 6 cloves, minced
- Tomato Paste 1 x 156 ml can
- Red Wine 250 ml
- Verdelho Madeira 100 ml
- Cinnamon Stick 2” piece
- Bay Leaf 2
- Salt 1 tsp
- Cayenne Pepper ½ tsp, or to taste
- Butter 2 Tbs
- Boiled Potatoes for serving
- Chopped Parsley for garnish
Cook It
- In a large pot, Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or large saucepan. Sauté the onions over medium-low heat until they are soft and starting to colour. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute.
- Add the tomato paste, red wine, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, salt and cayenne pepper. Stir well to combine and then add the chopped octopus. Cover the pot and allow to simmer for an hour, or longer if necessary, until the octopus is tender. When the octopus is done, stir in the butter to enrich the sauce. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve with the boiled potatoes.
