If there was octopus to be cooked, Fani always cooked it in the following manner which is a traditional Kastellorizen way of preparation.  I was told that this method of cooking preserved it for some time and the seamen from the island would take it with them their voyages. This is sweet and delicious and many people who are reluctant to eat octopus are delighted when they try this.

Ingredients:

• 2 kg onions
• 1 medium to large octopus
• 1 tbspn sugar
• large slice of orange peel
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1/2 vinegar (but now I substitute 1 cup of balsamic vinegar instead of using wine and vinegar)
• 1 bay leaf
• freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Cook onions in oil until soft and then add sugar.  Continue to cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the onions are caramelised and very dark.  (Darker than you think is possible – the final dish is nearly black in colour due to this deep cooking of the onions). Add the red wine and vinegar (or balsamic instead of red wine and vinegar), bay leaf, orange peel and a lot of ground pepper.

Meanwhile cook the octopus in its own juices until tender.  Remove most of skin. Cut tentacles and head into bite sized pieces and discard beak and stomach contents.

Add cooked octopus to the onion mixture and stew slowly together until it reaches a thick consistency.

Delicious served on small pieces of crunchy, fresh bread.

Fani’s tips:  It’s possible to thicken the mixture with cornflour.  Also you can caramelise the sugar to a very dark caramel and add to then onions – rather than spend the extra time on cooking as in the above recipe.  (I have not tried either of these 2 tips preferring to use the original recipe).