I’ve made this stew many times, usually with white fish and chorizo, but I’ve been looking forward to making it with octopus for a while, so when I came across already cooked octopus at the fish monger I took my chance!
I have cooked octopus from scratch before, but hey, it’s Wednesday, I don’t want to make it too hard on myself.
Spicy & Smokey Octopus Tomato Stew with Cannellini Beans
(14 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
Loading...Ingredients
- 1/2 chorizo sausage (optional)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed and sliced
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 1 heaped tsp chipotle chili flakes or regular chili flakes
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (optional)
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1/2 chopped red pepper
- 1/2 chopped yellow pepper
- 1 tin tomatoes (or 4-5 freshly chopped tomatoes)
- 1 cup fish, chicken or veggie stock
- 1 jar or can (400g) cannellini beans
- 300g already cooked octopus or 300 g cubed firm white fish
- Seasoning: Pepper, salt, sugar to taste
- **To Serve
- Fresh parsley
- Crusty bread
Instructions
If using Chorizo sauté this first in 1 tbsp olive oil
When oil starts to separate remove the chorizo pieces from pan and set aside. Continue cooking in the chorizo oil.
If you're not using chorizo start with sautéeing a chopped red onion and 4 crushed and sliced garlic cloves until fragrant and translucent in 1 tbsp of olive oil.
Add a good teaspoon full of chipotle chili flakes and stir through (if you don’t have chipotle chili flakes, just use regular, but would be great to add some smoked paprika for smokey flavour).
Add the chopped celery and give it a good stir.
Add 1 tbsp of tomato paste and stir fry through for about a minute until starting to caramelize.
Deglaze with a good glut of red wine and let the alcohol evaporate.
Add some chopped red and yellow pepper (I like the colour contrast) and sauté for about 2 minutes.
Add a tin of whole tomatoes, or just chopped tomatoes like I had and turn up the heat until bubbling.
Add a cup of water and a fish stock cube
Let simmer on medium to low heat for about 30 minutes until slightly reduced, stirring occasionally.
Taste along the way and season with pepper, salt and sugar if needed.
When you’re happy with the consistency add the octopus (or fish if you’re using that) and heat through.
Add the beans at the end just to heat through as well.
Serve with fresh parsley and good crusty bread.
Notes
Sometimes I also add ansjovis in the beginning with the chili flakes, instead of fish stock.
