Octopus with Vegetables

Ingredients

• 1 untreated lime
• 1 dried chili pepper
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 kg octopus
• Salt
• 4 Carrots
• 1 orange bell pepper
• 2 small onions
• 4 Garlic cloves
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 200 ml dry white wine
• 500 g diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp ajvar
• 100 g pearl onions (canned)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash the lime and slice it. Crush the chili with 2 bay leaves in a mortar. Wash the octopus and add it to a pot with the lime slices, chili, and bay leaves. Pour enough water to cover the octopus. Add 1-2 pinches of salt, bring to a boil, then simmer gently for about 40 minutes.

2. 2.

   Peel the carrots and slice them thinly. Wash, trim, and dice the bell pepper into ~2 cm cubes. Peel the onions, halve them, and cut into strips. Peel the garlic cloves and slice them.

3. 3.

   Drain the octopus and rinse it with cold water. Scrub the purple skin under running water with your fingers. Let it drain and cut into bite-sized pieces.

4. 4.

   Preheat the oven to 220°C (428°F) with top and bottom heat.

5. 5.

   Heat the oil in a large pot over high heat. Add onions, garlic, carrots, bell pepper, and remaining bay leaves; stir-fry for 2-3 minutes. Deglaze with wine and add tomatoes. Season with salt, sugar, and Ajvar. Mix in the octopus and simmer for 10-15 minutes on medium heat. Transfer to four baking dishes and finish baking in the oven for 5-10 minutes.

6. 6.

   Drain the pearl onions and sprinkle them over the stew before serving. Offer a halved lime on the side if desired.