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This week’s column features an ingredient that doesn’t appear often in these pages — octopus.
While calamari — squid — has become a pretty regular item on roadhouse and restaurant menus, octopus has yet to become mainstream.
I had occasion to enjoy this delicious seafood a number of times on recent trips to Portugal and Italy.
My recipe today is an adaptation of a salad I made in Italy after purchasing a fresh octopus at one of the markets in Florence.
The trick to making octopus enjoyable is to cook it until it is tender.
Fresh octopus will take much longer to become tender than previously frozen.
You can find octopus at some grocery store seafood counters (previously frozen) and in the freezer section of many Asian and Portuguese markets.
This simple salad features new potatoes, along with capers, celery and parsley in a simple oil and vinegar dressing.
If octopus isn’t something you’re anxious to try, this salad is also delicious substituting quality olive oil-packed tuna.