Ingredients
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1,2 – 1,5 kg cleaned octopus
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500 g pasta shells
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½ cup olive oil
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1 large onion, thinly sliced
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1 cup Commandaria
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1 cup dry red wine
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4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
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½ kg grated tomato
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2 cinnamon sticks
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2 bay leaves
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Salt
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Pepper
Instructions
Purchase the cleaned octopus from a Blue Island Fish Market
Wash the octopus and cut into 2-3 cm cubes. Leave to drain in a colander.
Put the octopus into a pan on a high heat. Cook until it has absorbed all its moisture, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Next, remove the octopus from the pan and pour in the olive oil. Let it heat up and then gently sauté the onion. Add the octopus, red wine and Commandaria. As soon as the alcohol has evaporated, add the tomato, vinegar, cinnamon, bay leaves and season to taste. When the food has boiled once or twice on a high heat, turn the heat down and cover the pan. Simmer gently for about forty minutes. Cook until the octopus is tender and the sauce has fully melted.
At the same time, boil the pasta in a medium-sized pan until it is cooked ‘al dente’. Next, drain the pasta saving a cup of the water. Put the pasta in the pan with the octopus. Add the cup of water and cook until completely ready.
Serve hot.
From Chef Noel Christo Bassil
