Ensalada de Pulpo (Octopus Salad)
Tender octopus with bell peppers, red onion and cilantro in a garlicky olive oil and lime dressing. Serve it cold.
Recipe in testing: I'm cooking it in my TM7™ and will update the steps and the photo with my own.
Ensalada de pulpo is the cold, tangy octopus salad you find at seaside kiosks and seafood spots all around Puerto Rico, often next to a plate of tostones or a few saltine crackers. Tender octopus, crunchy bell peppers and red onion soak up an olive oil dressing with garlic, lime and a splash of vinegar.
The trick is cooking the octopus slowly, until a knife slides right in. The Thermomix® TM7™ simmers it on reverse at soft speed with bay leaf and onion, then chops the peppers and mixes the dressing. Give the salad at least an hour in the fridge so the flavors come together.
Made in the Thermomix® TM7™
Ensalada de Pulpo (Octopus Salad)
Makes: About 5 cups
- Prep20 min
- Cook55 min
- Total2 h 25 min
- Serves6
Ingredients
For the octopus
For the salad
For the dressing
Instructions
- Rinse the octopus under cold water. With a sharp knife, cut off the head and separate the tentacles into 4 pieces, so they move freely in the bowl.
- Place the water, onion, bay leaves and peppercorns in the mixing bowl and add the octopus. Place the simmering basket on the mixing bowl lid instead of the measuring cup and cook 50 min/100°C (212°F)/reverse/speed soft.
- Test the thickest part of a tentacle with a knife: it should slide in easily. If not, cook 10 min/100°C (212°F)/reverse/speed soft more. Drain the octopus, discard the onion and bay leaves and let it cool 10 minutes. Rinse and dry the mixing bowl.
- Cut the octopus into 1.5 cm (1/2 in) slices, keeping the curly tips whole, and place it in a large serving bowl.
- Place the bell peppers in the mixing bowl and chop 3 sec/speed 4, until they are in pieces of about 1 cm (1/2 in). Add them to the octopus with the red onion and cilantro.
- Place the garlic in the mixing bowl and chop 3 sec/speed 7. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the olive oil, lime juice, vinegar, salt, pepper and oregano and mix 10 sec/speed 3.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour, or up to 24 hours. Toss again and serve cold, with lime wedges.
Tips
- Frozen octopus is often more tender than fresh, because freezing softens its fibers. Thaw it overnight in the fridge before cooking.
- Using precooked octopus from the seafood counter? Skip steps 1 to 3 and start with 450 g (1 lb) of cooked octopus.
- Serve it as a starter with tostones or saltine crackers, or over lettuce for a light lunch.
- The salad keeps 2 days in the fridge in a closed container. Add a squeeze of lime before serving if it tastes flat.
