Italian Salad
Insalata di Polipo – Octopus Italian salad
Octopus Italian Salad
This Octopus Italian Salad, is a light and tasty appetizer, which is highly sought after on the tables around the Mediterranean, where this animal is a local abundant catch .
The preparation of the octopus salad is quite simple, and the secret of the success of the dish is due to the correct cooking and the freshness of the octopus that must have a very vivid and intense color in all its shades.
The octopus lives in rocky or sandy bottoms: hence the distinction between the octopus who lives in the vicinity of the rocks, more flavorful and delicious, recognizable by the double row of suckers on the tentacles and the sand octopus , from a less valuable flesh , with longer and thinner tentacles  and a single row of suckers.
Start to clean it by rinsing it under running cold water by rubbing with the hands the head and the tentacles inside and outside
Then transfer the octopus on a clean cloth and pat dry with kitchen paper. Then place it on a cutting board with a knife and carve the bag at eye level to eliminate them. So also cut off the beak of the octopus.
Rinse again the octopus under cold running water and remove the giblets from the bag and then thoroughly wash the inside. Then wash and rubbed with hands the head and tentacles to remove as much as possible the slimy cover. Take care to wash well the suction cups one at a time to remove any remaining sand. Now that the octopus is clean, you can proceed with the cooking.
Insalata di Polipo by CookInVenice
INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PEOPLE:
1 small octopus for each person
3 legs of celery
1 lemon
olive oil
salt and pepper
PREPARATION:
Clean the octopus thoroughly: remove the beak, the eyes, the interiors and rinse well.
Boil as a whole for at least 20/30 minutes or until the octopus is tender.
Remove from the heat, drain and chop into small pieces.
Chop the celery into small bits.
Season with salt, pepper, olive oil and the juice of a lemon.
Serve the octopus Italian Salad with fresh bread.
