Cycladic Octopus Braised in Wine (Htapodi Krasato)

Where grilled octopus depends on a hard, fast char over charcoal, htapodi krasato takes the same tenderised octopus in the opposite direction: a long, gentle braise in red wine, tomato and bay, giving a dish closer in spirit to a rich stew than the smoky simplicity of the grill. It is found across the Cycladic islands as a genuine alternative rather than a lesser version of the more famous grilled preparation.

The wine does double duty here, both tenderising the octopus further as it simmers and building, alongside the tomato, into a genuinely rich, dark sauce worth having good bread on hand to mop up.

This is a considerably more forgiving method than grilling octopus, since there is no hard sear to time precisely, just a long, patient simmer that gets more tender the longer it goes, within reason.

Key preparation steps

1. Simmer octopus briefly alone to release some of its liquid.
2. Build a red wine and tomato sauce with onion and bay.
3. Add the octopus and braise slowly until completely tender.
4. Reduce the sauce until thick before serving.

Preparing the octopus

Frozen octopus, which tenderises through the freezing process itself, is the practical choice for most home cooks, and it needs no further tenderising before this braise. Simmer it alone in a dry pot for ten minutes first, which lets it release some of its own liquid, before that liquid becomes part of the sauce.

The wine and tomato sauce

Cook onion gently in olive oil until soft, then add garlic, a good quantity of red wine, and tinned or grated tomato, along with a bay leaf and a cinnamon stick if you want the slightly warmer depth some island versions use. Let this simmer for ten minutes to concentrate before the octopus goes back in.

The long braise

Return the octopus to the sauce, cover, and simmer gently for forty-five minutes to an hour, until it is genuinely fork-tender, testing the thickest part of a tentacle. Uncover for the final stretch and let the sauce reduce and thicken properly around the octopus, since a thin, watery sauce undersells the dish.

Cut the octopus into pieces before serving, or leave whole tentacles for a more dramatic presentation, and serve with the sauce spooned generously over.

What matters in this dish