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Fish, Africa and overseas

Chatrou octopus fricassee with rice and red beans

Chatrou fricassee is a Creole dish of octopus simmered in a spiced tomato sauce, served with rice and red beans. It serves 4, takes 1 hour 20 minutes, is medium difficulty, and costs about €4 per person. The trick is using precooked octopus, which turns tender in twenty minutes instead of a full hour.

Tonight we're simmering a Creole chatrou fricassee, tender octopus in a spiced tomato sauce, with rice and red beans.

Chatrou octopus fricassee with rice and red beans
Total time
1 h 20
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€4.00
Calories per person
660 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Summer, Fall

Chatrou is the Creole word for octopus, and this fricassee is a classic of Caribbean cooking, a tomato sauce perfumed with thyme and sharpened with a whole chili, in which the octopus becomes tender as it simmers gently. The lime and garlic marinade gives the octopus its flavor before it even hits the pan, and the golden onions add a sweet base that balances the heat.

It's a Sunday dish or an unhurried weeknight meal, the kind you let simmer while you do something else. Rice and red beans turn it into a full, generous plate that fans of bold flavors will love, though it calls for an appreciation of chili heat and seafood texture, so it's best kept for adults and curious older kids.

The ingredients

4 people

Fish counter

  • Precooked octopus 900 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onions 2
  • Green onions 4
  • Tomatoes 4
  • Garlic 4 cloves
  • Thyme 3 sprigs
  • Chili pepper 1
  • Lime 1

Pantry

  • Canned red beansoften in the pantry 400 g
  • Riceoften in the pantry 280 g
  • Oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Allergens Mollusks

The step by step recipe

  1. Drizzle the octopus pieces with lime juice and toss with the crushed garlic. 10 min

    This quick marinade flavors the flesh deeply.

  2. Saute the sliced onions and green onions in the oil until golden. 8 min

    Well browned onions give the sauce a sweeter edge.

  3. Add the tomatoes, thyme and whole chili pepper, then the octopus, and let it simmer covered. 40 min

    Stir gently from time to time so nothing sticks to the bottom.

  4. Warm the red beans in a small saucepan and cook the rice in salted water. 11 min

    Mix rice and beans on the plate for the traditional Creole way.

  5. Serve the fricassee generously coated in sauce over the rice.

    Remove the chili before serving if you want to avoid any fiery surprise.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick ripe tomatoes, they release more juice and give a smoother sauce without needing to add water.
  • Keep the chili whole and unpierced during cooking, it flavors the sauce without overpowering it, and you can adjust the heat by how long you leave it in.
  • Taste the sauce before serving and adjust the salt, since the beans and rice are mild, the sauce should be a touch punchy to balance the plate.

The variations

  • Swap the octopus for peeled shrimp, adding them only in the last ten minutes of cooking so they stay tender.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the octopus with grilled eggplant chunks added at the same time as the tomatoes.
  • To save time, use pouch precooked rice and simmer the sauce for just twenty minutes with smaller pieces of octopus.

What to serve it with

  • Fried plantain
  • Cucumber and lime salad
  • Passion fruit juice

Storage

The fricassee keeps 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. It freezes well for up to 2 months, kept separate from the rice. Reheat it gently in a saucepan with a splash of water to loosen the sauce.

Questions about this dish

Can I use fresh octopus instead of precooked?

Yes, but it will need about an hour of simmering instead of twenty minutes to become tender. Precooked octopus saves time while still giving a melt in your mouth texture.

Can this fricassee be made ahead?

Yes, the octopus sauce actually tastes better the next day once the flavors have had time to mingle. Just cook the rice fresh right before serving.

How do I tone down the heat if I'm worried about the chili?

Keep the chili whole and unpierced, and remove it partway through cooking if the sauce gets too spicy for you. You can also take it out completely before serving.

Can I use dried red beans instead of canned?

Yes, but soak them overnight and cook them for about an hour before adding them to the fricassee. Canned beans stay the easier choice for a weeknight meal.

How long does it take to make a chatrou fricassee, Creole style octopus, with rice and red beans?

Count 1 h 20 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a chatrou fricassee, Creole style octopus, with rice and red beans?

About 660 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a chatrou fricassee, Creole style octopus, with rice and red beans cost?

About €4.00 per serving, or €16.00 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains mollusks. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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