Santorini Fava me Chtapodi Krasato (Φάβα με Χταπόδι Κρασάτο)

Santorini fava me chtapodi is the island's yellow split-pea puree, not broad beans, with wine-braised octopus laid over it. The fava is the soft floor, sweet from onion and the island's volcanic soil; the octopus brings the sea, the wine, and a little chew. The region is the dish's surname here, because Santorini's fava is its own thing.

The fava must be cooked with only onion. No carrot, no garlic, no stock. Those make a busier pot, and I want the pea's sweetness clear so the octopus can sit on it without fighting. Simmer gently, skim the foam, and beat in the olive oil at the end. Good olive oil, and patience.

The octopus doesn't need bullying. Let it give its own liquor first, then add wine and vinegar and cook it low until a knife slides into the thickest part. Spoon the dark juices over the yellow fava and finish with capers, red onion, and green-gold oil. In my notebook this one is marked nistisimo, fasting food, and nobody at the table feels punished.