TABELIAAUTHENTIC RECIPE
Insalata di PolpoOctopus and Potato Salad
A Mediterranean appetizer of octopus boiled tender, combined with potatoes and finished with lemon and olive oil. The essential technique is making the octopus tender all the way through.
AUTHENTICITY SCORE
Authenticity Score
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Ingredients (2 servings)
- OctopusIf raw, rub thoroughly with coarse salt to remove slime. Pounding loosens the fibers for a tender result.500 g
- PotatoesBoil in their skins, then peel.300 g
- CeleryThinly sliced.2 stalks
- Extra virgin olive oil50 ml
- LemonSqueeze for juice.1 piece
- Flat-leaf parsleyFinely chopped.5 sprigs
- GarlicGrated.1 clove
- Salta little
- Black peppera little
Method
Prepare the octopus
- 1 If using raw octopus, sprinkle with 2 tbsp coarse salt and rub thoroughly to remove slime, then rinse well under running water.
- 2 Turn the head inside out and remove the innards, eyes and beak.
- 3 Thinly slice the celery.
- 4 Grate 1 garlic clove.
- 5 Finely chop the flat-leaf parsley.
Curl the tentacles and start boiling
- 1 Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Hold the octopus by the head and dip the tentacle tips in 3 times to curl them, then immerse it.
- 2 Simmer over low heat for 40–45 minutes.
Cool in the cooking liquid and cut
- 1 Leave the octopus in its cooking liquid to cool for 10 minutes.
- 2 Remove and cut into bite-sized pieces.
Boil and cube the potatoes
- 1 Boil the unpeeled potatoes in a separate pot for 20–25 minutes.
- 2 Remove when a bamboo skewer passes through, peel and cut into 2 cm cubes.
Combine the ingredients
- 1 Combine the octopus, potatoes and celery in a bowl.
Dress with lemon and oil
- 1 Add the grated garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and black pepper to the octopus and vegetables and toss.
Chill to let the flavors mingle
- 1 Scatter with parsley and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors mingle before serving.
About this dish
In Santa Lucia, Naples’s fishing neighborhood, octopus drying along the waterfront is a summer sight. Pounding to loosen its fibers and carefully boiling it creates its distinctive balance of tenderness and bite. Insalata di polpo emerged from this octopus culture; adding boiled potatoes makes it a substantial appetizer.
A traditional tenderizing practice called the cork method adds a wine cork to the boiling water. Its scientific basis is unclear, though cork tannins are said to loosen the fibers, and the practice continues in Neapolitan homes.
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