Stewed Octopus alla Dina

Dina is a sweet elderly woman I met while traveling for work in Orbetello, a small town on the lagoon of southern Tuscany.. She is a woman of the town, always everywhere and nowhere all at once. Once I entertained her mumbles to herself, we became dear friends. She would follow me around the room as I filmed for work, standing on her tippy toes to loudly whisper stories of the town in my ear. Amongst these stories where many recipes, all of which had me practically drooling on my camera equipment. This is my version of one of Dina’s recipes. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

I love me a juicy sauce!

Octopus stewed in tomato sauce with seasonal veggies and taggiasche olives 😋
- chop 2 scallions and sauté in olive oil on low heat with some freshly ground cumin and cracked black pepper. Add 2 small diced carrots and 1/2 chopped fennel. Sauté together until scallions become translucent. Add a splash of white wine. Add 1 can crushed tomatoes, stir, cover and let simmer. Clean octopus and cut in pieces. Sear in a hot pan with salt and olive oil for 30 seconds each side. Add to the tomato mixture and recover. Add salt to taste. Let simmer for 30-45 minutes (the longer the better) adding water as necessary. Add olives and fresh parsley to serve.