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You are here: Home / Recipes by Dish / Barbecue / Octopus Salad

Octopus Salad

25th June 2018 - By Michelle Minnaar
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Learn how to make a delicious Sicilian octopus salad like a true chef living in Sicily. Explore the rich smoky flavours of the tender octopus straight off the grill with traditional Sicilian flavours. With a combination of blue prawns, potatoes, artichokes, olives, capers, lemon, oil and Mediterranean herbs, you are in for a memorable salad. It is light, includes a range of flavours and every single bite is perfectly balanced. As always, this octopus salad is best enjoyed with fresh produce. So, you’ll need to source the ingredients at your local fish market for the best results. Once you have the octopus salad ready, you’ll feel like you are on vacation! This pairs well with a glass of dry rose wine or a more full-bodied dry white wine!

Salad Octopus

During the Easter holidays, my son and I were fortunate to visit Sicily for the first time. What a lovely experience it was! Not only did the village, Cefalu, we stayed in ooze of charm, but we also had stunning views of the brilliant blue sea and enjoyed the lovely weather.

Of course, when it came to food we were not disappointed and it’s a good thing that we packed in our fat pants to accommodate our expanding waistlines on this week long trip.

However, the absolute highlight for me was doing a photo shoot with chef Mario Traina close to Catania. It was a long drive but it was so worth it. Once there, I was welcomed with open arms not only by him but also his students and colleagues, which made the photo shoot so much easier and fun – a big contrast to usually working alone.

Octopus Mario

At the end of the long day we managed to produce eight recipes, which I can’t wait to share with you. The first being this grilled octopus salad, which is Mario’s unique creation. His name for this dish is actually Sea Shore Salad Looking At Etna. As you can probably deduce chef Mario has taken the absolute best local ingredients he could find and let their natural strengths shine through to make this delectable salad.

If you would like to hire Mario for your events or a private function, you can email him at [email protected] or follow him on Facebook or Instagram or call +39 339 8181830

octopus salad

Never in my life have I tasted prawns as sweet. What’s more, they were so fresh that you could eat them raw and I sure did. While globe artichokes arrive in a sorry state at UK supermarkets, the Sicilian ones were in beautiful shape. For the first time in my life I tasted a citron, which is a large lemon with plenty of pith that tastes surprisingly good.

Never have I had a barbecue on the beach. As you can see, I’ve lost many virginities on that day, which made the whole experience so special and memorable. Mario Traina’s passion is palpable and infectious and he’s a tome of knowledge when it comes to food.

I hope you try this recipe at home. It might look tricky but the biggest secret is finding quality ingredients and letting them do the work for you. Stay tuned for more recipes!

Lemon Sicilian

 Sicilian lemon Inside

the octopus

Octopus is a rather unusual ingredient when you live on British soil and it’s rarely seen on restaurant menus. However, as this octopus salad is a Sicilian recipe, cooking with fresh octopus is a must! So, my next question is – when was the last time you’ve eaten or even cooked with octopus? Most people fear cooking with this delicate ingredient, as it can sometimes be quite the challenge in terms of trying to cook the octopus to perfection. There is a very fine line between cooking the octopus too little and overcooking the octopus until it becomes like eating rubber. The perfect result we all want is that delicious tender octopus that falls apart in your mouth.

Octopus Artichoke Potato

The trick to getting the octopus right is to follow these few steps. Before you place the thawed octopus into the boiling pot of salted water, you need to apply a one minute massage along the tentacles. Massaging it will make the meat more tender.

Capers Berries

Artichokes Globe

Herbs Artichokes

Octopus Boiling

herbs orange

Once you have the octopus ready, make sure that your pot of water is at boiling temperature. For more flavour, you can scent the water with lemon, garlic and bay leaves when cooking the octopus. Next, take the octopus by its head and submerge the tentacles four to fives times, before you submerge the whole octopus. Turn the octopus from time to time, because if its head is floating, chances are that it won’t cook properly.

You’ll know when the octopus is ready if you can easily separate the tentacles from the body. That means that the octopus is tender! Drain the octopus and let it cool down. Next, you can give it a char on the grill.

Prawns Blue

the prawns

The main thing to remember with the prawns is to purchase the type that still have their eggs. These eggs are commonly orange, but can also be blue when cooking with blue prawns. The eggs are found in the legs of the shrimps. The shrimps store the eggs there until they mature and hatch. Eating these small orange eggs is considered as a true delicacy in some cultures!

For this octopus salad, you’ll need to shell the prawns but preserve the eggs in a separate container. You’ll combine them into the octopus salad later, so set them aside for a while.

Orange Octopus Herbs

Octopus Bbq

the barbecue

Prepare your charcoal barbecue and while waiting you can slice the citron in little cubes. Prepare your artichokes and potatoes. Once your barbecue is ready, place the whole potatoes inside hot charcoals for 30 minutes. Give them a nice char, this will caramelise the potatoes. While the potatoes are cooking, season the artichokes with olive oil and salt and cook over the charcoals with sliced orange. The sliced oranges will lend a nice acidity and zestiness to the octopus salad.

Artichokes Barbecued

Now, this step completely optional, but I highly recommend finishing off the octopus on the barbecue to give it a smoky flavour. The exterior of the octopus will have a wonderful char, while the center will be tender. It will certainly add complexity and depth of flavour to the octopus salad.

octopus salad recipe

When the potatoes are cooked and cooled down, scoop the flesh out. Next, cut the octopus into bite-sized pieces. I recommend cutting the octopus into one to two inch pieces, just enough for a bite! Have the rest of the ingredients ready at hand, because the next step is the assembling of ingredients!

Barbecued Potatoes

Cooked Potatoes

seasoning and toppings

Assemble everything together and season with olive oil and salt flakes. I also like to sprinkle a bit of lemon or lime juice for extra acidity. Don’t forget to add some lovely fresh Mediterranean herbs. I encourage you to try parsley, because it works really well with octopus. You can also opt for fresh watercress for extra bitterness.

With respect to the salad, you can normal salad or escarole for extra flavour. Otherwise, you can read all about different kinds of green leaves that can be used as escarole substitutes. The choice of greens and herbs is entirely yours!

Cooked Octopus Slicing

variations

If you feel like you’ve got more than enough octopus, don’t toss it away! You can easily reuse it in another seafood salad or you can place the grilled octopus on a base of vegetable noodles like these. Otherwise, if you feel like pairing the octopus with something sweeter, then I recommend pairing it with this Italian fig salad with Parma ham and blue cheese. If you are after something more filling but still healthy and light, this vegan cauliflower mash is perfect! The creaminess of the cauliflower makes the mash the best side dish to an octopus straight off the grill.

Octopus Salad Grilled

The most common variation is a Greek version of the octopus salad. Simply toss the grilled octopus into a traditional Greek salad recipe, and you’ll have a lovely Greek octopus salad.

What is your favourite way to enjoy octopus?

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A close up of Octopus Salad

Grilled Octopus Salad


★★★★★

5 from 5 reviews

  • Author: Michelle Minnaar
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 60 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hours 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
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Description

Explore the flavours of a tender octopus salad with Sicilian flavours. You’ll need blue prawns, potatoes, artichokes, olives, capers, orange, oil and herbs.


Scale

Ingredients

  • 450g (1lb) Octopus
  • 120g (4oz) prawns with their eggs
  • 1 medium citron, washed
  • 2 medium potatoes
  • 60g (2oz) olives, pitted and halved
  • 2 medium globe artichokes, peeled and halved
  • 15g (1 tbsp) capers, soaked in water
  • 30ml (2 tbsp) extra virgin olive oil
  • sea salt flakes

Instructions

  1. Wash the octopus. Place in a pot of salted and scented boiling water and simmer for 30-40 minutes. Drain and set aside.
  2. Shell the prawns but preserve the eggs in a separate container.
  3. Slice the citron in little cubes.
  4. Prepare a charcoal barbecue.
  5. Place the whole potatoes inside hot charcoals for 30 minutes.
  6. While the potatoes are cooking, season the artichokes with olive oil and salt and cook over charcoals with sliced orange.
  7. [Optional] Finish of the octopus on the barbecue to give it a smoky flavour.
  8. When the potatoes are cooked and cooled down, scoop the pulp out. Cut the octopus into bite-sized pieces.
  9. Assemble everything together and season with olive oil and salt flakes. Drizzle the blue prawn eggs on top and fresh herbs such as parsley. 

Notes

  • You can scent the water with lemon, garlic and bay leaves when cooking the octopus.
  • In this recipe the prawns were so ridiculously fresh that they were eaten raw. If you can’t get hold of super fresh prawns, grill them on the barbecue along with the octopus and serve them cooked.
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Sicilian

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 serving
  • Calories: 339
  • Sugar: 1.9 g
  • Sodium: 456 mg
  • Fat: 12.7 g
  • Saturated Fat: 1.3 g
  • Carbohydrates: 32 g
  • Fiber: 7.6 g
  • Protein: 26.3 g

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Octopus Salad

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Wise Ways says

    26th June 2018 at 8:43 am

    Never tried octopus before love the look of it cooked though

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  2. sam macaree says

    26th June 2018 at 4:30 pm

    never tried before!

    Reply
  3. Tracy Nixon says

    26th June 2018 at 4:32 pm

    I have never tried octopus before!

    Reply
  4. melanie stirling says

    26th June 2018 at 4:34 pm

    I’ve never had octopus,I really don’t like the look of it.I’ve had squid and that was like elastic bands so I always presume they are similar texture.

    Reply
  5. Solange says

    26th June 2018 at 7:28 pm

    I don’t like octopus.

    Reply
  6. Kim Neville says

    26th June 2018 at 11:12 pm

    Have not tried Octopus before. Your recipe looks nice

    Reply
  7. Kim Styles says

    27th June 2018 at 6:50 pm

    I like Octapus cooked simply grilled for only 4-5 mins and seasoned and served with a squirt of lemon and brown bread and butter!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  8. cheryl hadfield says

    27th June 2018 at 11:21 pm

    I have never tried…but never say never and may do in the future

    Reply
  9. Kelly Hirst says

    28th June 2018 at 7:37 am

    Ive never tried octopus but it looks and sounds delicious, would probably be lovely in a linguine dish

    Reply
  10. Kim Carberry says

    3rd July 2018 at 8:50 am

    I have never tried octopus before but I do like the look of your recipe x

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  11. debbie smith says

    14th July 2018 at 12:00 pm

    i tried pickled octopus once very rubbery but your recipe looks yummy x

    Reply
  12. sharon martin says

    30th July 2018 at 4:08 pm

    to be honest, i’ve never been brave enough to try it.

    Reply
  13. Natalie Crossan says

    30th July 2018 at 10:09 pm

    I truly don’t know as I have never had it!! I hear it’s very delicious though

    Reply
  14. Lysa Raylee says

    12th November 2018 at 12:41 pm

    Very nice option for dinner. The ocotpus salad is a very healthy and nutritive option for a light dinner or even lunch. Love it.
    If pre cookes octopus used, better, you save lot of time. a little bit more expensive and it worths.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  15. Steph says

    17th October 2019 at 10:04 pm

    I love Octopus, the combination of your ingredients are fantastic, can’t wait to try the recipe.
    I will certainy add garlic as it sparkles the taste… i hope many will take courage, also time to do it, cos when it is cooked right it is succulent. Yummy 😀
    Thank you for sharing your recipe and bonne apetito! 🙂

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  16. Steve D. says

    21st October 2019 at 2:58 pm

    I never had octopus salad, but I want to try now!

    Reply

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