Italian Octopus Salad
Tender, juicy and flavorful this octopus salad is one of a kind. Keep it simple for an antipasto or go extra and turn it into a full meal.
Servings: 4
Calories: 497kcal
Ingredients
- 2 lb octopus , more or less 1 kg
- 1.5 lb potatoes , about 700 grams
- 1 cup olives , about 200 grams
For cooking octopus:
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 7 peppercorns
- Parsley , use stems only from 1 thin bunch saving the leaves for the dressing
- Pinch of salt
For the dressing:
- 5 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1-2 teaspoon white wine vinegar , start with a smaller amount then add more to taste
- 1 tablespoon parsley leaves , finely chopped
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Prepare Fresh Octopus For Cooking
- If you plan to make octopus salad using fresh octopus purchased from your local fishmonger it’s best to buy it a few days or even weeks in advance and store it in the freezer. Once ready to cook, thaw overnight in the fridge. Alternatively buy raw frozen octopus and thaw the same way.
Clean & Boil Octopus
- Pull out everything that’s inside the head and turn it inside out. Rinse thoroughly in cold water.Since we’ll be cooking the octopus whole, it’s easier to cut out the beak and the eyes once it’s cooked.
- In a pot large enough to fit the octopus add water and bring it to a boil.Add parsley stems, white wine and pepper corns.
- Hold octopus by the head and dip it slowly in the water then lift up. Repeat this process 3-4 more times. You’ll notice how the tentacles start to curl. After the last dipping leave octopus it in the water to cook on low heat. Cover with half-closed lid.PAY ATTENTION: Never cover octopus with the lid completely as it might form foam and overflow the pot.
- Cook octopus until you can easily stick the fork in the thickest part of the tentacle close to the head.Estimated cooking time: 2 pound octopus will cook in 45-50 minutes. The large ones can take up to 1.5-2 hours to cook. Baby octopus will cook in 25-30 minutes.Cooking time also depends on how soft you want your octopus. Some prefer it slightly 'al dente', so there’s a little bite to it. Another over cook it to extra soft.
- Once octopus is cooked, remove it from the pot and let cool in a plate.
- When octopus is cool enough to handle cut around the beak to remove.Also cut underneath the eyes and cut on top of the eyes to remove.Cut the ends of the tentacles and leave the for decoration (optional).Cut the tentacles into cubes. Cut the head into strips.
Cook Potatoes
- In a pot with cold water add potatoes with skin on. Bring to a boil and cook until done, about 20-30 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes.
- Let cool until warm, peel and cut in large cubes.
Prepare the dressing
- In a small bowl mix extra virgin olive oil, pinch of salt, finely chopped parsley leaves and white wine vinegar (start with a smaller amount, taste and add more if needed).
Put everything together
- In a large salad bowl add potatoes, octopus, olives and the dressing. Add oregano, hot pepper flakes and small chopped garlic cloves if using NON-marinated olives.
- Add another round of extra virgin olive oil. It’s best to let the octopus salad rest for 30-60 minutes before serving,
Notes
See the Step By Step Pictures for a visual walk-through of the recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 497kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 534mg | Potassium: 1540mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 429IU | Vitamin C: 46mg | Calcium: 146mg | Iron: 14mg