Malta is a maritime country. Among other things, that’s why octopus is not only loved there, but also often used as an ingredient. Stuffat tal-qarnit—basically an octopus stew—is one of Malta’s favorite national dishes. You’ll find it not only in restaurants, but it’s also often made in Maltese homes.
In this dish, too — as in Maltese cuisine in general — the strong Italian influence comes through beautifully. The octopus is cooked in a tomato and red wine sauce, and seasoned with herbs and lemon zest. That last ingredient, of course, gives the stuffat tal-qarnit a particularly piquant flavor. The dish turns out very tomato-forward, maybe even surprisingly so at first, but in the end the flavors come together very nicely. And although it can’t deny its Italian influence, it still tastes distinctly Maltese.
Like every true national dish, Maltese octopus stew, or stuffat tal-qarnit, has many versions, and everyone makes it a little according to their own taste. One thing especially worth pointing out is that the version shown here, enriched with potatoes and peas, is more of a home-style version. In restaurants, you’re more likely to come across a similar recipe without those two ingredients.
How Did I Come Across Stuffat tal-Qarnit?
During our trip to Malta, I mostly tasted the famous Maltese rabbit recipes, when at a restaurant in Valletta my adventurous wife ordered a local octopus dish that was written only in chalk on the sidewalk sign. It was something like stuffat tal-qarnit, with the note that this recipe really does have as many versions as there are households. See more on that a little further down. Incidentally, the same is true of the local rabbit too.
The octopus was brilliant, but that was where the story ended. I had never cooked octopus in my life, and you couldn’t exactly say it was often available near me in any store, so it didn’t even occur to me to make this recipe.
Then, when my English stuffat tal-fenek recipe started doing well, I thought it was time to try my hand at more authentic Maltese recipes. At our favorite market in Copenhagen, getting octopus was no problem—though the price was unbelievable—and after some thorough research, I had the recipe, which you can now read too.
A Simple Octopus Recipe
This isn’t a complicated recipe. In fact, it’s very simple, once you get past the fact that you have to work with octopus. I write separately about preparing that, though, so it won’t cause any trouble either.
It takes more time than effort, since first we cook the octopus in water for half an hour, then for half an hour in the sauce, and then roughly another half hour with the potatoes. So an hour and a half goes into cooking, plus a few more minutes for prep.
But there isn’t much to do—just cut up a few ingredients, which you can manage even if you’re a complete beginner in the kitchen. Of course, assuming you like octopus.
Cooking the Octopus
The essence of stuffat tal-qarnit is the octopus. That’s why it’s very important that it be prepared well. Not least because a poorly cooked, chewy octopus can put someone off this seafood ingredient all by itself. But properly prepared octopus is tender, delicious, and a great experience!
Cooking octopus is not complicated, but there are a few things to keep in mind:
- Octopus benefits from being stored in the freezer for a few days; it becomes more tender. So even if you buy it fresh, put it in the freezer.
- If you have never prepared octopus before, it’s better to ask the fishmonger to clean it. Or buy octopus tentacles, which don’t need to be cleaned. Naturally, if you buy prepared octopus, such as quick-frozen octopus, you won’t have any problem with this at all.
- Precook the thawed octopus for about half an hour in water. There’s no need to salt the water; octopus is salty enough on its own. In fact, you can use the cooking liquid instead of water when making the stuffat tal-qarnit.
- After precooking, cut the octopus into the desired size. In the case of stuffat tal-qarnit, this means 3/4- to 1 1/4-inch (2–3 cm), bite-size pieces.
- You’ll cook the prepared octopus in the sauce for another 50–60 minutes. Made this way, it will be heavenly tender.
A Few Thoughts About the Ingredients for Stuffat tal-Qarnit
Although octopus is the most important ingredient, stuffat tal-qarnit contains several other components that are worth saying a few words about.
- The lemon zest should be from an organic lemon, or specifically packaged grated lemon zest. Simply because the peel of non-organic lemons is treated with chemicals that are not advisable to put into food.
- Octopus itself is naturally salty, and if you use its cooking liquid instead of water, that will be a little salty too. So be careful with the salt, and definitely taste the dish before salting it.
- As for the herbs, practically any combination of marjoram, thyme, parsley, and mint can work. Mint is also very popular in Malta in octopus stew, but I didn’t add it.
- You can also add fresh tomatoes, quartered or cut into smaller pieces. For example, that’s how we were served it in a restaurant in Malta.
- As for the restaurant and home-style versions, as I wrote earlier, potatoes and green peas usually go into the home-style versions.
Serving Stuffat tal-Qarnit
Maltese octopus stew can be eaten on its own, or with traditional side dishes, but in Malta it is typically served two ways:
- With spaghetti, as a pasta sauce.
- With fresh, crusty bread.
Stuffat tal-Qarnit
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil 30 ml
- 1 lb octopus, 9 oz octopus tentacles 700 g octopus, about 2 octopus tentacles
- 6.3 oz onion 180 g, about 1 ½ onions
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2.6 oz black olives pitted 75 g
- 14 oz canned chopped tomatoes polpa 400 g
- 1 oz capers 30 g, about 5 tsp
- 1.8 oz tomato paste 50 g, about 2 tablespoons
- 1 ¼ cups red wine 300 ml
- 1 ¼ cups water or the octopus cooking liquid 300 ml
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp marjoram
- Zest of 1 lemon grated
- Salt
- 10.6 oz potatoes 300 g
- 3.5 oz green peas quick-frozen 100 g
Instructions
- If using fresh octopus, freeze it for a few days. Thaw it in the refrigerator for 18–24 hours, or at room temperature for 6–8 hours.
- Bring water to a boil in a pot. Add the octopus and cook it at a bare simmer for 30 minutes.
- Remove the octopus, let it cool, and cut it into 3/4- to 1 1/4-inch (2–3 cm), bite-size pieces. Set the cooking liquid aside.
- Finely chop the onion and garlic.
- Heat a large pot, add the olive oil and onion. Sauté the onion over medium heat until translucent. Then add the garlic and cook for another half minute.
- Add the canned tomatoes, olives, capers, tomato paste, and the herbs and seasonings—thyme, marjoram, parsley, and lemon zest. Pour in the wine, add the water or octopus cooking liquid, and bring everything to a boil.
- Add the octopus and cook over low heat for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut them into larger cubes. Add them to the octopus along with the green peas, and once it comes back to a boil, cook for another 25–30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
