Octopus Salad with Pomaganate Seeds, or Insalata di Polpo: A pomegranate and octopus salad may sound odd, but it is also intriguing, and makes for a very tasty antipasto. This recipe will take about an hour to prepare and serve 4.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 pounds (1 k) octopus
- The tender inner stalks of a celery plant
- A large pomegranate
- 3 medium-sized potatoes
- A lemon
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Steam the potatoes with their skins on and let them cool.Clean the octopus, removing and discarding the ink sacks and beaks, and skin the tentacles (if the octopus are small this will not be necessary). Wash the octopus well and boil it for about 40 minutes. Drain it, and when it has cooled cut the tentacles into pieces and the bodies into rings.
Peel and thinly slice the potatoes, slice the celery, and seed the pomegranate. Squeeze half the seeds in a potato ricer to extract their juice, and combine it with the juice of the lemon. Season the mixture with a pinch of salt, and whisk in five tablespoons of olive oil.
Combine the solid ingredients in a bowl, decorate them with the remaining pomegranate seeds, and dress the salad with the sauce and a healthy grating of pepper.
