Octopus Salad

I can describe to you how to prepare an octopus salad, a fresh and tasty dish typical of Italian cuisine, perfect as a starter or a light second course.

Ingredients

• 1 octopus (about 1-1.5 kg)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 stalk of celery
• 1 carrot
• 1 white onion
• Chopped parsley to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Lemon juice
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• Pitted black olives (optional)
• Boiled potatoes (optional)

Preparation

1. Clean the octopus by removing the innards, eyes, and beak. Rinse well under running water.
2. In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil with the peeled onion, carrot, celery, and bay leaf. It is not necessary to chop the vegetables precisely, as they will only serve to flavor the water.
3. When the water is boiling, immerse the octopus holding it by the head and lift after a few seconds. Repeat this operation three times to firm up the tentacles, then let it immerse completely in the water.
4. Let the octopus cook for about 40-60 minutes depending on its size. To check if it’s done, pierce a tentacle with a fork; if it enters easily, the octopus is ready.
5. Once cooked, turn off the heat and let the octopus cool in the cooking water to keep it tender.
6. Drain it and cut it into pieces or slices, as you prefer.
7. In a bowl, season the octopus with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, chopped parsley, salt and pepper to taste. If you wish, you can also add pitted black olives and diced boiled potatoes.
8. Mix everything gently and let it rest in the fridge before serving, so the flavors blend well.

You can serve the octopus salad with a nice glass of fresh white wine, such as Vermentino or Fiano, which pair wonderfully with the taste of the sea.

Curiosity

The octopus salad is a dish that is part of the culinary tradition of the seaside regions and is very widespread in Italy, especially in the South and on the islands. It is said that the art of cooking octopus has been perfected over the centuries by fishermen who knew how to make its flesh tender.