Insalata di Polipo

This Italian Octopus Salad, is a light and tasty appetizer, highly sought after on the tables around the Mediterranean, where this animal is a local abundant catch. This is one of the most typical Venetian dishes.

The preparation of the octopus salad is quite simple, and the secret of the success of the dish is given by the correct cooking method and the freshness of the octopus, which 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, with 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. Place it on a cutting board with a knife and carve the bag at eye level to eliminate them. 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. Wash and rubbed with your 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.