Octopus Salad

Recipes and food styling Tom Hishon & Stefania Palermo / Photography Tony Nyberg

	FOR THE BOILED OCTOPUS
	1 tablespoon sea salt
	1 red onion
	1 stalk celery
	4 bay leaves
	4 peppercorns
	2kg octopus tentacles
	OCTOPUS DRESSING
	100ml apple cider vinegar
	100ml extra virgin olive oil
	⅓ teaspoon sea salt
	2 cloves garlic, finely grated
	3g freshly chopped parsley
	freshly cracked pepper, about 4-5 turns of the peppermill
	NASTURTIUM SALSA VERDE
	100g nasturtium leaves, roughly chopped
	25g parsley leaves, roughly chopped
	50ml apple cider vinegar
	250ml extra virgin olive oil
	5g sea salt
	TO SERVE
	800g piccolo potatoes, boiled
	200g kalamata olives, halved
	1 green apple, thinly sliced
	fennel pollen & edible flowers

1.	BOILED OCTOPUS
2.	Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add the salt, onion, celery, bay leaves and peppercorns.
3.	Add the octopus tentacles and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.
4.	Cook for 20 minutes, then turn off the heat and allow the octopus to cool to room temperature in the cooking water for 5-10 minutes depending on the thickness of the tentacles. This step helps the octopus retain its tenderness.
5.	Strain the octopus from the cooking liquid and let it cool down on a tray in the fridge. This can be done the day before.
6.	OCTOPUS DRESSING
7.	Mix all the ingredients together.
8.	NASTURTIUM SALSA VERDE
9.	Blitz everything together in a food processor or mortar and pestle.
10.	This can be done the day before and kept in the fridge.
11.	TO SERVE
12.	Cut the octopus tentacles and piccolo potatoes into bite-sized pieces.
13.	Tip the octopus into a large bowl, add the potatoes and the olives and toss the salad with the dressing.
14.	Add the nasturtium salsa verde and the green apple.
15.	Garnish with fennel pollen and edible flowers.