Precooking the Octopus
- As mentioned at the top of the post, these days you can buy your octopus, whole or just the prized tentacles, pre-cooked. It is a great convenience, and the quality can be actually quite good. Fresh or frozen octopus you’ll need to boil until tender in well salted water. Some people add a bay leaf to the water for flavor, some a bit of wine or lemon juice, some a garlic clove, some the “holy trinity” of onion, carrot, and celery. Cooking times vary widely. A very large octopus can take a good 2 hours until it’s tender, although a typical one will take perhaps 45 minutes. Baby octopus cooks in as little as 20 minutes. But do take your time. Some people dislike octopus because it’s “rubbery”, and of course it can be if it’s undercooked.
- Old-time recipes call for you to beat octopus with a rolling pin or throw it against a marble surface to soften it up before cooking, but you can dispense with that drama these days, unless, of course, you can some pent-up aggression you want to release…
Ingredients
- – 1 kilo (2 lbs) octopus, pre-cooked (see Notes)
- – For the dressing:
- – 150 ml (a bit over 1/2 cup) olive oil
- – The juice of a half or a whole lemon
- – 1-2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
- – A few sprigs of fresh parsley, finely minced
- – Salt and pepper
- – Red pepper flakes (optional)
- Optional:
- – Potatoes, boiled in their skins, then peeled and cut into wedges
- – Olives
- – Capers, packed in brine, [or caper berries]
- – Celery, thinly sliced
- – Carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
- – Cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- To serve:
- – Arugula or tender lettuce leaves
- – Lemon slices or wedges
Directions
- If using pre-cooked octopus, rinse and drain it well and pat it dry with paper towels. Cut the tentacles into cubes and head, if included, into strips. If using fresh octopus, boil it until tender (see Notes for details), drain it and let it cool until just slightly warm.
- Whisk all the dressing ingredients together until well emulsified. Taste and adjust for acidity and seasoning.
- Pour the dressing over the octopus and mix well, together with any of the optional ingredients you may be using. Let everything marinate for a good 30 minutes or more.
- Serve on a bed of arugula or tender lettuce leaves, with lemon wedges on the side.
