Matt Tebbutt

Stewed Octopus, Smoked Paprika, Tomato and Basil

Preparation info
  • Serves

    4

    • Difficulty

      Easy

Appears in
Cooks Country: Modern British Rural Cooking
Cooks Country

By Matt Tebbutt

Published 2008

  • About

This is one of my favourite seafood dishes. Octopus is not daunting in any way once you know how. Either cook it very quickly or very slowly. Both produce tender results. Anything in between will be tough as old boots. Freezing the octopus also helps to tenderize it.

Ingredients

  • 1 large frozen octopus, defrosted and cleaned
  • 4 ripe tomatoes, crushed a bit by hand
  • 1 bunch of

Method

Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/gas mark 2.

Throw the whole octopus, tomatoes, basil stalks, cut garlic, salt, chilli, bay leaves and smoked paprika into a solid braising pot with a good-fitting lid. Pour over the olive oil.

Put the pot into the oven and check after 1½