Octopus Stew with Onions, Paprika, and Wine

"To prepare fresh octopus, I first drop it into boiling water for a few minutes. The water doesn’t even come back to a boil, but this is long enough to stiffen the octopus, which makes it easier to cut. Then, for this stew, I cut it into chunks and cook it with wine, vegetables, and seasonings in a low oven for a couple of hours, until very tender and flavorful. It can be served on rice, couscous, pasta, polenta, or potatoes." --Jacques Pépin

Recipe: Octopus Stew with Onions, Paprika, and Wine

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 fresh or frozen cleaned octopus (about 2 pounds), defrosted if frozen
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups diced (1-inch) onions
1 cup diced (1-inch) carrots
1 cup diced (1-inch) celery
3/4 cup sliced (1-inch) scallions
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon Spanish paprika
1 tablespoon chopped jalapeno peppers, or more to taste
1 cup diced (1/2-inch) fresh or canned tomatoes
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

Instructions:

Bring 10 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan. Drop the whole octopus into the boiling water and stir it around for 3 minutes. (The water will not have returned to a boil.) Transfer the octopus to a plate and let it cool enough so you can handle it.
Remove the beak, if any, from the octopus and discard. Cut the octopus into 2- to 3-inch chunks.
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.
Heat the oil in a large ovenproof saucepan or a Dutch oven. Add the octopus pieces and salt and cook for 2 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and place in the oven for 1 hour.
Remove the pan from the oven (leave the oven on) and add the onions, carrots, celery, scallions, garlic, paprika, jalapeno peppers, and tomatoes. Bring to a strong boil on top of the stove, then mix well, cover, and place back in the oven for 1 hour, or until the octopus is very tender.
Sprinkle with the chives and serve.