Octopus carpaccio is a delicious and light appetizer, also served as a main dish. Ideal in warmer periods, but especially prepared during festive times where success is guaranteed being a special and refined preparation. In this recipe, the octopus is boiled with various aromas and then left to rest for 24 hours in a plastic bottle to give it a cylindrical shape thanks to the collagen, then sliced possibly with a slicer and seasoned with oil, lemon, salt, and parsley, if you like also garlic. Now I’ll leave you to the recipe!
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 1 Day
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 2.6 lbs octopus
- carrots
- onion
- garlic
- celery
- parsley
- juniper berries
- pink peppercorns
- 1 leaf bay leaf
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lemon
- salt
Tools
- Meat Tenderizer
- Slicer
- Plastic Bottle
- Scissors
Steps
First, clean the octopus by removing the central beak, then clean the sac and remove the eyes; I prefer to remove the sac completely. (With the sac, you can prepare a sauce for spaghetti). If the octopus hasn’t been pre-tenderized, hit it with a meat tenderizer to soften the flesh.
In a pot, add plenty of water and season it with all the aromas, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, juniper, bay leaf, and pink peppercorns
Bring to a boil and immerse the octopus. For those who can’t find pre-curled octopus, dip the tentacles in the water a couple of times to curl them. Cover and let cook for 30 minutes, then turn off the heat and leave it in the water for another 30 minutes. Always test the cooking by pricking it with the tines of a fork; the flesh should be cooked but firm.
In the meantime, cut the neck of the bottle with scissors and make holes at the base to let the water out.
At the end of cooking, drain and let it cool slightly, but not too much, it should be inserted into the bottle while still warm.
Cut the tentacles one or two at a time and start inserting them into the bottle, placing the tip of the tentacle inside, arranging them evenly.
Take the meat tenderizer and gently press on the octopus to extract all the water and avoid creating gaps.
At this point, cut the remaining part of the bottle vertically where tabs will be formed to seal the octopus.
Fold all the tabs inward, pressing them tightly.
Seal the bottle very well with plastic wrap, keeping the tabs as tightly pressed as possible. Put it in the fridge and let it rest for 24 hours (even longer doesn’t matter).
After the resting time, take the bottle and start preparing the carpaccio.
Remove the plastic wrap and cut the bottle vertically with scissors to extract the octopus.
Take the slicer and set it to a few mm thickness; it should be thin, adjust with the first slices if necessary.
For seasoning, prepare an emulsion of oil, lemon, and a pinch of salt.
Drizzle it over and add parsley, and if you like, also garlic.
The octopus carpaccio is ready!
Storage
You can store the octopus carpaccio unseasoned in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap for 2/3 days. If already seasoned, it’s best to consume it by the next day.
