Octopus Salad

Ingredients

• 1 onion onion – halved
• 1 carrot carrot – halved
• 1 stalk celery stalk – halved
• 2 leaves bay leaf
• 10 peppercorns black peppercorns
• 1 lemon lemon – halved
• 2 pounds octopus (cleaned)
• 0.25 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 0.5 tsp black pepper – freshly ground
• 1 clove garlic – finely minced
• 1 cup celery – thinly sliced
• 0.5 cup flat-leaf parsley – finely chopped

Instructions

1. Put the onion, carrot, celery stalk, bay leaves, black peppercorns, and the halved lemon in a large pot, add cold water to cover by 2 inches, and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
2. Grip the octopus and dip the tentacles into the simmering liquid 2–3 times to curl, then submerge, reduce heat to maintain a bare simmer, and cook partially covered until tender when a skewer slides into the thickest part with little resistance, 45–60 minutes.
3. Turn off the heat and let it cool in the liquid for 20–30 minutes, then lift it out, peel away any loose skin if desired, pat dry, and cut into 0.5-inch pieces; transfer to a mixing bowl.
4. Whisk the extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic in a small bowl until emulsified.
5. Add the celery and flat-leaf parsley to the bowl with the cut seafood, pour over the dressing, and toss to coat evenly.
6. Let the salad stand 20–30 minutes at cool room temperature to meld flavors, then taste and adjust seasoning with more salt or lemon if needed before serving slightly cool or at room temperature.