Octopus Salad 🐙 Dalmatian Style 🇭🇷 (Salata od Hobotnice)

Description

Tender octopus, waxy potatoes, sweet onion, parsley, and capers glossed with extra-virgin olive oil and lemon—cool, briny, seaside-classic. 🌊🍋

Hook: Cook once, chill, and toss—Adriatic tavern salad in under 90 minutes total. ⚡

Ingredients

• 🐙 Whole octopus, cleaned: 800 g (1 small / 1.76 lb)
• 🧄 Garlic (for the pot), lightly crushed: 6 g (2 cloves / 0.2 oz)
• 🌿 Bay leaf: 1
• 🧂 Salt: to taste (≈10 g / 1¾ tsp)
• ⚫ Peppercorns (for the pot): ½ tsp (1 g / 0.04 oz)
• 🥔 Waxy potatoes, 2 cm chunks: 400 g (2½ cups / 14 oz)
• 🧅 Red onion, very thin slices: 80 g (¾ cup / 2.8 oz)
• 🌿 Flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped: 10 g (¼ cup / 0.35 oz)
• 🧄 Garlic, very finely minced (for dressing): 3 g (1 small clove / 0.1 oz)
• 🫒 Extra-virgin olive oil: 60 ml (¼ cup / 2 fl oz)
• 🍋 Fresh lemon juice: 30 ml (2 tbsp / 1 fl oz)
• 🍷 Red wine vinegar (optional, sharper finish): 10 ml (2 tsp / 0.34 fl oz)
• 🧂 Fine sea salt (final seasoning): to taste (≈3 g / ½ tsp)
• ⚫ Freshly ground black pepper: 1 g (½ tsp / 0.04 oz)
• 🌶️ Capers or sliced green olives (optional): 1 tbsp (9 g / 0.32 oz)

Preparation

1. 1️⃣ Cook octopus: In a pot cover 🐙 octopus with cold water; add pot 🧄 garlic, 🌿 bay, 🧂 salt, and ⚫ peppercorns. Simmer gently 45–60 min until a skewer slips in easily. Cool 15 min in its liquid for juiciness; drain, trim, and cut into bite-size pieces.
2. 2️⃣ Boil potatoes: Simmer 🥔 potatoes in salted water 10–12 min until just tender. Drain well and cool to warm.
3. 3️⃣ Dress: Whisk 🫒 olive oil, 🍋 lemon, 🍷 vinegar (if using), minced 🧄 garlic, a pinch of 🧂 salt, and ⚫ pepper.
4. 4️⃣ Toss & rest: Combine octopus, warm potatoes, 🧅 onion, 🌿 parsley, and 🌶️ capers/olives. Pour over dressing; toss gently. Rest 15 min (fridge or cool room). Adjust salt/acid before serving.

Total Time

🕒 Prep: 20 min
🔥 Cook: 60 min
⏳ Total: 1 h 20 min (includes resting)

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