Fragrant Octopus Salad
This recipe is for a fragrant octopus salad. Octopus is a delicacy all over the mediterranean region but more of a rarity in Ireland. If it’s well cooked it is a soft and bursting with flavour. This fragrant octopus salad is a thing of beauty. It takes a bit of time and effort but is very worth it. The list of ingredient isn’t short but you can mix and match the flavours according to your tastes. This worked very well for me but you should treat more as an idea jerker than a definite recipe.
You can buy Octopus, like I did, in Lidl, when they have their Greek themed weeks. Alternatively, a good fishmonger should have them for you. They are also often in the frozen section of the larger Asian supermarkets.
Ingredients:
- One whole octopus
- Two lemons
- Half a bottle of dry white wine
- One litre of stock (I used vegetable stock)
- One bouquet garni
- Three cloves
- Ten garlic cloves
- Three dry chipotle chilis
- Five hundred grams of baby potatoes
- Olive oil
- One very large bunch of flat parsley
- Salt and cracked black pepper to taste
Method:
- Place your octopus in your slow cooker or a large pot. Add the cloves, 1.5 lemons sliced, the bouquet garni, 9 unpeeled cloves of garlic and the chipotle chilis.
- Cover with the wine and stock.
- If you’re using a slow cooker, set it on slow for 6 about 5 to 6 hours. If you’re using a pot, put the lid on and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours. When the octopus is cooked it should be extremely tender.
- In the mean time, boil the potatoes and reserve them until they’re at room temperature.
- Once the octopus is cooked, drain it and let it cool right down too.
- Once the octopus is cooled, slice it in chunks of 0.5 centimetres (that’s about 0.2 inches).
- Slice the potatoes about double that size.
- Plate the potatoes and octopus, dress with the juice of half the lemon and grate the last clove of garlic.
- Season to taste.
- Mix the chopped parsley in (stalks and leaves).
- Drizzle in good olive oil.