Warm Potato and Octopus Salad

Ingredients

• Celery stalk 1½ pieces
• Octopus 1 piece
• Carrot ½ pieces
• Onion 1 head
• Lemon 2 pieces
• New Potatoes 15 pieces
• Olives stuffed with lemon 4 pieces
• Sun-Dried Tomatoes 5 pieces
• Marinated cherries 4 pieces
• Garlic 2 cloves
• Capers 4 pieces
• Arugula 0 oz
• Parsley 2 stalks
• Fresh basil leaves 4 pieces
• Dry White Wine 0 fl oz
• Olive Oil 2 spoons
• Bay leaf 3 pieces
• Salt to taste
• Ground Black Pepper to taste

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1

If you don't have pre-cooked octopus on hand, you'll need to prepare it. Cut half of a large carrot and an onion into thick half-rings, and chop a whole celery stalk into large pieces (set the leaves aside for garnishing the salad). Cut one of the lemons into eight pieces.

Step 2

Fill the largest pot in the house with water (not completely: leave some space for the octopus) and place it over heat. When the water reaches a boil, add four to five corks, toss in the chopped vegetables with lemon, and a generous handful of salt. Pour in the wine.

Step 3

Thoroughly rinse the octopus, then ceremoniously lower it into boiling water and cook for three and a half to four hours, until it becomes tender. Once cooked and cooled, cut off the tentacles from the octopus. You will need one tentacle for each serving of salad, so one octopus can make eight servings. Be sure to reserve some of the broth.

Step 4

In a small saucepan, pour in water, place it over the heat, add salt, toss in three bay leaves, and one and a half dozen young small potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for five minutes: the potatoes should not be overcooked. Remove the cooked potatoes from the saucepan and transfer them to a plate to cool. Cut half a stalk of celery diagonally into small pieces. Then, peel the cooled potatoes.

Step 5

Pour a tablespoon of olive oil into a preheated saucepan and add the octopus. Add olives and celery. Then add the potatoes and five sun-dried tomatoes. Tear and add the leaves from two sprigs of parsley, season with salt, squeeze in the juice of half a lemon, toss in the garlic, and cook for two to three minutes, stirring the mixture.

Step 6

Add another tablespoon of oil, a couple of tablespoons of octopus broth, and squeeze in the second half of the lemon. Stir, remove from heat, add four halved cherry tomatoes to the saucepan, and mix again to allow them to soak up the juices and flavors.

Step 7

First, place the tentacle rolled into almost a closed ring on a plate. Gradually add the potatoes, tomatoes, and the remaining contents of the skillet to the center.

Step 8

In an empty saucepan, place a small bunch of arugula, toss it, and arrange the oiled leaves on the salad. Garnish with large capers, basil leaves, and celery, season with pepper, and drizzle with the remaining oil from the saucepan. Serve immediately while the salad is still warm.