Catalan-style octopus, a simple, fresh, and flavorful seafood salad, with the aroma and color of tomatoes and onions. An easy-to-make, light, and tasty appetizer that fits all fish menus. Just boil the octopus (I used a pressure cooker in the multicooker, in just 15 minutes) and then dress it with the classic Catalan ingredients: cherry tomatoes, onion, celery, olives, and a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Try this recipe, if you don’t have a multicooker (or pressure cooker), you can boil the octopus in boiling water, it will just take more time but will still be delicious.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economic
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Instant pot
- Seasonality: Summer
- Energy 175.75 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 14.04 (g) of which sugars 5.34 (g)
- Proteins 21.96 (g)
- Fat 3.74 (g) of which saturated 1.08 (g)of which unsaturated 1.45 (g)
- Fibers 1.89 (g)
- Sodium 250.75 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 150 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
- 1 octopus (about 900-1000 g)
- 1.4 oz white wine
- 1.8 oz water
- 1 leaf bay leaf
- Half stalk celery
- Half onion
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- 7.1 oz cherry tomatoes (red and yellow)
- 1 Tropea red onion
- 2 tablespoons Taggiasca olives
- 1 stalk celery
- basil
- extra virgin olive oil
- lemon juice
- salt
- pepper (or chili pepper)
Tools
- multicooker
- Bowl
- Cutting board
Preparation
Wash the octopus very well and remove the head part with the eyes and beak. In my case, I used a defrosted octopus, already cleaned of its innards, and cut it into 2-3 parts to ensure even cooking.
Place the octopus in the inner pot of the multicooker (or instant pot), with a drizzle of oil, a pinch of salt, the water, white wine, bay leaf, celery, and half an onion (1).
Close the pot and set a timer for 15-17 minutes, depending on how you prefer the octopus cooked.
When done, release the pressure, open the pot (2), and drain the octopus from its juices.
In this recipe you can find all the detailed instructions on cooking with a multicooker or pressure cooker.
While the octopus cools, wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them into pieces, clean the onion and slice it into rings, cut the celery into small pieces, and drain the olives.
In a bowl, pour a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil, add salt, pepper (or chili pepper), and a splash of lemon juice. Mix with a fork.
Cut the octopus into pieces and place it in the bowl with the dressing.
Add the cherry tomatoes, olives, celery, and onion. Garnish with a few leaves of basil and mix.
The Catalan-style octopus is ready, I recommend letting it rest for an hour or two in a very cool place, or in the refrigerator, so it will be more tender and flavorful.
Tips and Notes
As an alternative to pressure cooking in a multicooker, you can cook the octopus in boiling water, with the seasonings, for about 40-50 minutes.
The base of the Catalan dressing consists of tomatoes and onions, but you can enrich it with other seasonal vegetables, arugula, or other salad greens.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I add other shellfish or crustaceans?
Of course, you can add cuttlefish, squid, shrimp, mussels… just like a classic seafood salad.
How can I store Catalan-style octopus?
I recommend consuming it the same day, but if you have leftovers, you can store it in the refrigerator, well covered, for 1-2 days.
