OCTOPUS BRAISED IN WHITE WINE

This octopus is cooked with dry white wine and dessert wine.

Variations of this dish are present throughout Greece. The wine depends on the region, but the dish tastes best when combined with sweet and dry wine.

Steps;

1. Sauté the onion and the garlic in the olive oil for about 2-3 minutes in a pot over medium heat. Add the octopus and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Pour in the wine.
2. Add all ingredients except for the thyme and the salt.
3. Place a round piece of parchment paper, the size of your pot, over the food, and then put the lid on. This will ensure that all the flavour and liquid get locked in the pot. Let simmer for 50 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of the octopus.
4. When the octopus has softened, remove the lid and the parchment paper, and turn the heat high. Cook until the sauce is thickened and reduced. This may not be necessary if the sauce is already thick. If, on the other hand, there is too much sauce (the octopus releases some liquid when it simmers), you can set some aside to use another time.
5. Cut the octopus into smaller pieces. Add salt to taste, and sprinkle with the thyme.
6. Serve with country-style bread.

Ingredients

1. 1 (1.5-2 kilo) octopus, cleaned and cut into pieces
2. Two medium-sized onions, grated
3. Three cloves of garlic (or to taste) minced.
4. 1 tbsp tomato paste
5. Two bay leaves
6. The leaves from 3-4 sprigs of thyme, chopped (or 1 tbsp dried)
7. 120 g olive oil
8. 5 allspice berries, dried
9. 150 ml dry white wine
10. 100 ml white dessert wine
11. Salt and pepper for to taste.