Mediterranean Octopus Salad
4 servings
120 minutes
Mediterranean octopus salad is the embodiment of the fresh sea breeze and sunny flavors of southern shores. Its roots trace back to the traditional cuisines of Italy, Spain, and Greece, where seafood combines with simple yet rich aromas. The tender octopus meat, carefully prepared, achieves the perfect texture—soft yet firm. Lemon juice and olive oil add a light tang and velvety taste, while fresh garlic and parsley fill the dish with spice and freshness. Potatoes serve as a hearty base, creating a balance of flavors and textures. This salad is perfect as a standalone dish or as part of a Mediterranean feast, evoking memories of summer evenings by the sea.
1
If the octopus is fresh, it needs to be cleaned: cut into 3 parts - tentacles, 'face', and head. The face should be discarded, the tentacles freed from the hard connecting part, the head turned inside out and all the insides removed. Rinse. For frozen octopus, it should be slowly thawed in the refrigerator, likely it is already cleaned.
- Octopus: 2 pieces
2
Bring 4 liters of water with 3 tablespoons of salt to a boil. Dip each part of the octopus in the water for 10 seconds, remove it, let the water boil again, and repeat this process 2 more times. Then cook all parts on low heat for an hour. Drain the water used for cooking the octopus and let it cool in room temperature water.
- Salt: 3 tablespoons
3
Now the colorful and slightly slippery skin of the octopus can be easily cleaned with fingers. In Italy and Portugal, it is left on, but here you should rely on your own taste and texture preference. Cut the octopus into diagonal pieces of 2-3 cm. Taste for salt - if not enough, add salt.
- Salt: 3 tablespoons
4
Mix octopuses with oil, lemon juice, parsley, onion, and garlic. Stir well and let sit at room temperature for about an hour (in this marinade, octopus can last in the fridge for 2 days).
- Extra virgin olive oil: 3 tablespoons
- Lemon: 1 piece
- Parsley: 20 g
- Green onions: 20 g
- Garlic: 1 clove
- Ground black pepper: to taste
5
Meanwhile, boil the potatoes and cut them into 1.5–2 cm cubes.
- Potato: 4 pieces
6
Serve while the potato is still warm, mixing with the octopus in the marinade.
- Potato: 4 pieces