I like octopus. It’s a smart, wily mollusk and it can accomplish things, including opening jars and taking apart clam and coconut shells, that I sometimes struggle to do. Because I admire its intelligence and respect that it has been mismanaged as a food source, I generally avoid eating this extraordinary creature. However . . .
A few weeks ago I was traveling around Croatia where octopus was a mainstay of restaurant menus. Although I hadn’t expected to encounter it so frequently, its prevalence shouldn’t have surprised me; seven species of this cephalopod exist in the Adriatic Sea alone. With a variety of octopus swimming off the Dalmatia Coast and seafood playing such a prominent role in Croatian cuisine, its popularity now seems obvious.
In Croatia octopus features in such dishes as hobotnica ispod peke, or octopus beneath a lid, and hobotnica sala, octopus salad. The latter is what I tried at a picturesque waterfront restaurant in beautiful Dubrovnik. While usually served as an appetizer, this salad is filling enough to be eaten as a main course.
CROATIAN OCTOPUS SALAD
CROATIAN OCTOPUS SALAD
Serves 4 to 6
2 pounds octopus, preferably sourced from Portugal or Spain and caught by trap or pot
1 pound potatoes
2 teaspoons salt, plus more for seasoning
2/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons capers, drained and rinsed
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
Ground black pepper, to taste
Bibb lettuce, for serving
Fill a medium stockpot with water and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Add the octopus and allow it to cook for 45 to 60 minutes or until tender when probed with a fork.
While the octopus is cooking, bring a small stockpot filled with water to a boil. Add the potatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until fork tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain the potatoes. Allow them to cool slightly before peeling and cutting them into small cubes.
Whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic and capers. Set aside.
Drain the octopus. Rinse it in cold water and dry it with a clean cloth. Octopus dried, slice it into 1/2-inch pieces.
In a large bowl toss together the cubed potatoes, octopus and sliced onion. Pour the dressing over top and toss again to combine. Taste and add salt and ground black pepper to taste. Serve atop a bed of Bibb lettuce.