Stuffat tal-Qarnit (Octopus Stew)
Ingredients:
600g-800g Frozen Octopus
2tbsp Olive Oil
3 Medium Size Onions
1bulb Fresh Fennel
4 Garlic Cloves
50g Black Olives
300ml Red Wine
300g Chopped Tomatoes or Polpa
3tbsp Tomato Purée
1tbsp Mint
2tbsp Parsley
Chilli Flakes
2 Bay Leaves
1/4tsp Black Pepper
100g Peas
200g Potatoes
1tsp Lemon Rind
Salt (if needed)
Small Loaf of Maltese Bread
Spaghetti
Directions:
1. Fry onion, fennel and garlic on medium-high heat until onion gets tender.
2. Add tomato purée and frozen octopus, cleaned and cut into bite-size pieces. We use frozen octopus because it will get more tender. If you buy fresh octopus ideally freeze it for a week before cooking. You will get a perfect result every time avoiding getting a chewy octopus.
3. Add pepper, chili flakes, red wine, chopped tomatoes, black olives, parsley, mint, lemon rind, and bay leaves. Note that we are not adding salt since octopus is really salty. Just check at the end if you need to add some salt.
4. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes depending on octopus size.
5. Add potatoes and peas, cover and cook for a further 15 minutes until potatoes are fully cooked.
6. Remove bay leaves.
7. If you want a thicker sauce, cook uncovered for another 10 minutes.
8. If you want to serve the stew in mini bread bowls, hollow out the bread, brush with oil and bake until crispy. You can also serve your stew with spaghetti or simply on a plate with some fresh Maltese bread.
9. Enjoy!