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Faial-Style Octopus Stew with Three Wines
Faial-style octopus stew: octopus cooked slowly with onion, lard and red pepper paste, finished with white wine, port and vinho de cheiro. Serve with potatoes.
- 6 servings
- 25 min
- 1h30
- Medium
Octopus stewed in wine is also a classic of Faial. The Faial version uses no tomato: the octopus first cooks in the liquid it releases and only then gets the red wine, ideally vinho de cheiro.
This recipe also adds a little white wine and a splash of port, and it calls for patience: the liquid the octopus gives off is lifted out and returned to the pot once it starts to dry. It is served with boiled potatoes and cornbread.
Method
If the octopus is fresh, beat it to tenderise it. Wash it well and cut it into small pieces.
Heat the olive oil and lard in a pan. Add the chopped onion and garlic and let them soften just until the onion turns translucent, without browning.
Add the octopus and cook over medium heat until it has released plenty of liquid.
Pour the liquid off into a bowl and keep the octopus cooking. When the bottom of the pan starts to dry, add the reserved liquid back.
Season with the pepper paste and peppercorns, add the parsley and bay leaf and simmer gently until the octopus is tender.
Now add the white wine and the port, then the vinho de cheiro a little at a time. Keep at a gentle simmer until the sauce thickens.
Taste before adding salt, as the octopus and pepper paste are already salty, and add piri-piri if you like more heat.
Remove the parsley and bay leaf and serve with boiled potatoes and cornbread.
Tips
- If using frozen octopus, thaw it in the fridge; it will be more tender and won't need beating.
- Massa de pimenta (pimenta da terra) is an Azorean paste of salted red peppers, more or less hot. Replace it with a sweet red pepper paste or a chilli paste, depending on how hot you like it.
- No vinho de cheiro? Use a young, fruity red wine.
- Boiled sweet potato also works instead of potatoes.
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