Ouzo is Greece’s national drink and of course it’s also used in cooking. Lina Chioti is the chef at the Achivada Tavern on Lesbos. She shows us how to prepare octopus with the anise-flavored aperitif. Recipe for stuffed octopus à la carte Ingredients for four servings: 1 kg octopus 4 fresh tomatoes 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper 2 onions 2-3 star anise 2 tablespoons parsley 2 teaspoons pine nuts 2 cups olive oil 2 cups white rice 1 cup ouzo 3-4 cups water To make the filling, dice up the octopus tentacles and tomatoes. Chop the onions into cubes and dice the parsley. Fry the onions in olive oil, and then add the ouzo, the tomatoes, the rice, the pine nuts, the diced octopus and the parsley. Add the star anise to the mix. Spice to taste with salt and pepper, add a couple of cups of water, and let the mixture simmer on low for 45 minutes. When it’s ready, remove the star anise and stuff the octopus heads with the mix, then close them with toothpicks so the stuffing can’t escape. Place the filled octopus in a pot, add the rest of the olive oil, and cook for a further 15 minutes. Bon appétit!