WEEK 13 WILDCARD WINNER

Mediterranean Octopus Salad

Photography by Sarah Shatz

    BY SASA STUCIN + JAN VRANJEK | SERVES 4

A&M: Marinated octopus is a dish we’re always delighted to see on an antipasti table—so why don’t we make it at home? Sasa and Jan convinced us to give it a try. And it’s so painless—no different from boiling a vegetable and dressing it with oil and herbs. With octopus, you just boil it for a little while longer. As Sasa and Jan noted, this salad is “refreshing and light” and brings out the fresh buttery flavor of octopus, marinating it with a pared-down dressing of lemon, onion, parsley, and olive oil—flavors that are intrinsic to the Mediterranean.

    OCTOPUS

    2 bay leaves

    3 garlic cloves

    Whole peppercorns

    Salt

    1 pound fresh, cleaned octopus

    SALAD

    Small bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

    1 small onion, finely chopped

    Juice of ½ lemon (or more to taste)

    Extra virgin olive oil

    Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring a large pot of water to a simmer. Add the bay leaves, garlic cloves, a few whole peppercorns, salt, and the octopus and cover. Let the octopus simmer for about an hour, until tender but not overcooked. Drain, discarding the bay leaves, peppercorns, and garlic.
2. Cut the octopus in half and try to remove the slimy outer layer of the octopus with your hands, until left with a pinkish white meat.
3. Cut the entire octopus into cubes. The size is not very important since the meat should be very tender by now; I recommend about ¼ inch. Place the prepared octopus in a bowl.
4. Assemble the salad: Add the parsley, onion, and the juice of half a lemon or more, depending on your preference. Add a good tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and a little pepper.
5. Mix well, cover, and leave to rest for at least 1 hour in the fridge. Serve chilled, but not straight out of the refrigerator.

    TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

    Shop for octopus with thin tentacles, which will cook faster and be more tender. We cut our octopus into larger pieces (1 inch) and were happy with the results.

    ABOUT THE COOK

    Sasa Stucin and Jan Vranjek live in Slovenia. She’s a designer, he’s an economist. Here’s Sasa’s blog: sasastucin.blogspot.com.

        Her entertaining tip: “Keep it simple. Have a good time.”

    BEHIND THE SCENES

    While most Food52ers live in the United States, by this point in the contest year, we began attracting cooks from around the world, including this stylish couple from Slovenia. Just as it’s a useful travel tip to dine where the locals eat, it’s always a treat to receive recipes from locals in faraway places.

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Photography by Sarah Shatz