Sweet octopus stew

Yesterday I could not attend to my regular appointment of preparing Sunday lunch thus I left everything in the hands of my mother. No matter how adventurous I am in the kitchen, I always look forward to eat some traditional dish prepared from a knowledgeable cook! Mum was always a cooking enthusiast, she was our primary source of inspiration and nowadays she is our reference point for any cooking tricks, tips and traditional methods.

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This Sunday she prepared this succulent octopus stew with sultanas and walnuts. Apparently this recipe was inherited from my grandmother who loved to prepare this particular stew. Here is the recipe for you to try:

Octopus stew with sultanas & walnuts

Ingredients for 4 persons:

• 1 large octopus
• bunch of parsley stalks, roughly chopped
• rind of one lemon cut into strips
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 8 potatoes, cut into 4 parts each
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 cans peeled tomatoes
• a handful of sultanas
• a handful of chopped walnuts
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt & pepper

Start by preparing the octopus. Pour some olive oil in a large saucepan, add the strips of lemon rind, garlic clove, and parsley stalks. Place the cleaned octopus, cover and simmer for around 1 hour or until the octopus is tender.

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Finely chop the onion, fry in a little olive oil until transparent then add the peeled tomatoes, bay leaves and salt & pepper. Leave on slow heat for around 20 minutes. When the octopus is ready remove from the pan, keep the liquid aside and cut into bite-sized pieces. Add the octopus and the cubed potatoes to the tomato sauce and keep cooking adding some of the octopus liquid if necessary. When the potatoes are tender add the sultanas and walnuts. Season with salt & pepper and serve with some fresh chopped parsley and loads of crusty bread.

Any leftovers can be deliciously accompanied by a plate of spaghetti! You will be licking your fingers clean!