Octopus Salad

Long a staple of cooks in Italy, octopus is usually on the menu during the Feast of the Seven Fishes. While octopus is found in many restaurants, it is not usually prepared by home cooks in America. I have been intimidated by this multi tentacled denizen of the deep but this year I decided to overcome my fears and try it. I watched dozens of of youtube videos and combined the cooking techniques I learned with a salad that my mother used to make. The result was an exquisite dish that I’m sure my guests will enjoy. After you master a few simple techniques, you to will be able to easily master this at home and reap the rewards.

Makes 8 Side Servings.

Octopus Before and After Tenderizing

  

Broth Ingredients

4 Quarts Water

2 Cloves Garlic (peeled)

1 Lemon (quartered)

1 TBS Mild Paprika

2 Stalks Celery (cut into 1” pieces)

Handful of Fresh Parsley

1 Medium Onion (quartered)

1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper

1 tsp Kosher Salt

Salad Ingredients

1 Frozen Medium Octopus ~3lb. (cleaned)

1/2 C Citrus Herb Vinaigrette

1/4 C Red Onion (diced small)

1 15oz. Can Cannellini Beans (drained)

2 TBS Fresh Parsley (chopped)

1/4 C Kalamata Olives (pitted & diced)

1/ C Fennel (diced)

Place all of the broth ingredients in a large pot and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat for one hour.

I recommend using a frozen octopus for this recipe. They are easier to find, are more tender, and are usually precleaned. I was able to find mine at a local Asian market, or have your fishmonger get it for you. If you are able to get a fresh octopus ask your fishmonger to clean it, otherwise watch one of the many videos on www.youtube.com.

Fully Cooked Octopus

After the broth has cooked for an hour it’s time to cook and tenderize the octopus. Grab the head of the octopus with a pair of long tongs and gently dip the tentacles of the octopus into the simmering broth for 5 seconds then remove and let cool for 10 seconds. Repeat this 4 more times. The tentacles will curl up during this process (see photos) and help tenderize it. Put the octopus back in the broth and simmer for 1 to 2 hours or until a paring knife is easily inserted into the thickest part of the tentacles.

Removing Skin with Back of Pairing Knife

Place the cooked octopus on a cutting board and cut off the hood (top of the head, and the tentacles. Discard the area just below the head and the mouth. Peel the skin off of the tentacles (see photo) and the hood using the back of a paring knife. Just scrape the skin off and you will be left with clean white flesh. Dice the octopus (see photo) and place it in a medium bowl with the remaining salad ingredients. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. Bring to room temperature before serving.

To print a copy of this recipe go to Octopus Salad.

Diced Octopus