Octopus salad is one of the most appreciated cold seafood dishes. Fresh, light and full of flavor, it’s perfect to serve as an appetizer at a dinner with friends, as a side dish or as a main course.
Once ready, you can decide how to present it on the table. It’s delicious accompanied by olive oil crostini.
It’s easy to prepare and, following this recipe, you will obtain a tender and flavorful octopus that will win over all your guests.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Cooking time: 40 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 155.00 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 4.05 (g) of which sugars 3.62 (g)
- Proteins 26.59 (g)
- Fat 3.70 (g) of which saturated 1.22 (g)of which unsaturated 1.50 (g)
- Fibers 0.24 (g)
- Sodium 99.39 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 200 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 2.2 lbs octopus
- 1 stalk celery
- Half onion
- 1 carrot
- 2 leaves bay leaves
- 2 lemons
- extra virgin olive oil
- parsley
- salt
- black pepper
- 8.5 cups water
Preparation
To prepare the octopus salad, start by cooking the octopus.
In a large pot place the cleaned celery, carrot and onion. Add 2 liters of water, cover with a lid and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the dried bay leaves and a level teaspoon of salt, letting it boil for a couple of minutes.
Meanwhile, rinse the octopus under plenty of cold water and make sure it has no eyes or beak (it is usually cleaned at the fishmonger upon request).
Remove the lid from the pot. Holding the octopus by the head, dip the tentacles into the boiling water for a few seconds, pull them out and repeat the operation until almost the entire head is submerged; the tentacles should curl slightly.
Fully submerge the octopus, cover with the lid and lower the heat. From the moment the water returns to a boil, cook for 30-40 minutes, depending on the size of the octopus.
When cooked, turn off the heat and let the octopus cool in the same water for 30 minutes. Then drain it and let it cool completely, about another 30 minutes.Once the octopus is completely cold, cut it into pieces of the size you prefer. Transfer to a bowl and dress with the juice of two lemons, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and chopped parsley.
Mix well, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Let the octopus salad rest for 15 to 30 minutes before serving, stirring occasionally to allow all the flavors to blend well.
After resting, transfer the octopus salad to the table and enjoy it fresh and flavorful!
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