Octopus salad with Granny Smith apple and celery

• 10 minutes to prepare • 1 hour to cook  • Serves 4

Octopus = hugs x 8

I love octopus whether it is braised in tomato sauce and wine, grilled (like in the recipe linked here), or boiled (like here...yum).

I recently came across an amazing recipe on Un pinguino in cucina blog for a delicious looking octopus salad that really appealed to me.
Given the hot weather we are recently experiencing in Milan, I decided to give it a try.

The recipe is a simple one as many great Italian recipes are, calling for cooked octopus, fresh celery, peppery Granny Smith apple, EVO oil, lemon, salt and pepper.
I did follow the recipe exactly as it was written and it was indeed delicious. We loved the salad and found it to be a perfect dinner choice for our steamy hot summer days here in Milan: you bet I will be making it again making!

Here's what you will need for the 4-serving recipe:

1 kg octopus
600 g celery
1 Granny Smith apple
1 lemon
1 fistful walnut kernels
EVO oil
salt and pepper

1. Start by cooking the octopus:drop it in boiling, unsalted, water and make it cook for about 30 minutes, covering the pan with a lid and lowering the heat to the minimum. Cooking time depends on the size of the octopus, so consider this time as indicative. The best way to see if the octopus is ready is to skewer it with a fork, in the point where its tentacles are connected to the head: if the fork enters it easily, the octopus is al dente
2. When the octopus is cooked, turn off the heat and let it cool in its cooking water
3. Meanwhile, wash celery under running water and cut it into rounds. Peel the apple and cut it into cubes. Place both in a large salad bowl
4. Remove the octopus from the water, and put it on a cutting board. Remove excess skin and cut the tentacles just below their junction to the body. We want to obtain pieces with a nice curl at the end of the tentacle!
   
5. Add octopus to the salad, too
6. Prepare the citronette: collect the lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of EVO oil in a small bowl. Season with a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper and stir to mix
7. Pour the citronette and toss gently to mix and coat well. Add salt and grind some more pepper, if necessary. Top with walnuts and bring to the table!

Nutrition Facts are listed for this recipe in the table below. Data is provided per serving.

I'd like to be under the sea
In an octopus's garden in the shade

(The Beatles, Octopus's Garden)