Recipe for Greek Style Octopus Pita Pie

Written by Greek Boston in Authentic Greek Food Recipes, Greek Pie and Pita Recipes Comments Off on Recipe for Greek Style Octopus Pita Pie

This recipe is served throughout Greece, but it is especially popular on the island of Lesbos. Use the freshest Octopus you can find and make sure you have the fishmonger clean it for you.

Greek Style Octopus Pita Pie Recipe Ingredients:

• 2 pounds fresh octopus, cleaned
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 3 tablespoons Greek olive oil
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 1/2 pounds fresh zucchini, grated
• 1 pound fresh tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 cup fresh, chopped parsley
• 2/3 cup small grain rice, soaked in water for 10 minutes and then drained
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
• Salt, to taste
• Melted Butter, for brushing (about 1 stick)
• 16 sheets phyllo

How to Prepare Greek Octopus Pie:

Add the octopus to a large pan and set the heat to medium. There’s no need to add water. Cook for ten minutes, or until the octopus first changes color. Add the red wine and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan and simmer the mixture for ten more minutes. Octopus should be tender.

Remove the octopus from the heat and let it stand for a few minutes. When it is easy to handle, chop the ocotopus into small pieces.

Preheat the oven to 300 Degrees Fahrenheit.

Drizzle the olive oil into a skillet and set the heat to medium. Let the oil warm for a about a minute. Add the onion and saute for five minutes, or until the onions get soft. Add the garlic and cook for another 5 minutes or so. Sprinkle in the red pepper and stir the mixture with a wooden spoon. Remove the mixture from the heat.

Add the octopus, the liquid from the pan, sauteed onion mixture, zucchini, tomatoes parsley, rice, cinnamon, and salt to a mixing bowl. Stir until well mixed.

Brush a 9 x 13 baking dish with butter. Add one sheet of phyllo and brush that with butter. Repeat seven times. Pour the octopus mixture over the phyllo. Add one sheet of phyllo and brush with butter. Repeat seven more times. Brush the top sheet of the phyllo well with a thick coating of butter. Cut to long slits in the phyllo with a sharp knife.

Place the pan in the center of the oven and bake until the phyllo is a golden brown color. This should take about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it stand for about 10-15 minutes before serving. This dish will keep for a few days in the refrigerator.

Categorized in: Authentic Greek Food Recipes, Greek Pie and Pita Recipes

This post was written by Greek Boston