Caribbean Stewed Octopus

Delicious, tender octopus stewed in white wine, butter, caramelized onions, ginger, and garlic. This is a re-creation from a dish I had in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica at a restaurant called Koki Beach. It was pretty spot-on. It is advised to wear gloves when handling an octopus because some people get a skin reaction. Since I didn't have any available, and don't have any known food allergies, I took my chances and ended up ok and rash-free.

• Preparation Time: 25 mins
• Cooking Time: 2 hr
• Total Time: 2 hr 25 mins
• Calories: 366 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup crushed ice
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ cup butter, divided
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (1 pound) piece octopus, beak and eyes removed, or more to taste
• ½ (750 milliliter) bottle dry white wine (such as Pinot Grigio)

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Heat 1 tablespoon butter and oil in a skillet over medium heat; stir in onion. Cook and stir until onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until onion is very tender and dark brown, about 30 minutes more.

Step 2

Rinse octopus. Place on a flat work surface and cut tentacles into thirds. Chop the head into bite-sized pieces. Place octopus pieces in a gallon-sized resealable plastic bag. Mix in salt and add crushed ice. Seal the bag and place into a larger grocery bag. Pound the octopus with the smooth side of a meat mallet until as tender as possible. Remove octopus from the bag and let drain in a colander.

Step 3

Stir ginger and garlic into the skillet with the onion; cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in wine and the remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Add octopus; reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook, stirring every 10 minutes, until flavors meld, about 1 hour. Uncover and continue simmering until sauce is thickened to your liking and octopus is tender, about 1 hour more.