Octopus is everywhere in Portuguese cooking, from octopus lagareiro-style in the north to octopus rice on the islands. This cold octopus salad is the summer version, made for days when nobody wants the oven on.
Salada de polvo is a simple, room-temperature dish of tender braised octopus, red onion, bell pepper, parsley, and a bright olive oil and vinegar dressing. It’s the kind of thing you’ll find at a seaside tasca in the Algarve, served as a starter or a light lunch with bread, and it holds up beautifully as a make-ahead dish for a hot day since the flavor only improves after a few hours in the fridge.
The trick for tender octopus without hours of babysitting a pot is the freezer method, which breaks down the muscle fibers before it even hits the water. If you have already made our Polvo à Lagareiro or Portuguese roasted octopus with garlic and paprika (recipes on the site), you already know how forgiving octopus is. Serve this alongside our Portuguese-style octopus rice (recipe on the site) for a full seafood spread, or on its own with a chilled glass of vinho verde.
Salada de Polvo Recipe
Ingredients
- For the octopus:
- 2 to 2 1/2 pounds octopus, cleaned, previously frozen and thawed (or fresh, see notes)
- 1 onion, halved
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 wine cork (optional, traditional but not necessary)
- For the salad:
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced small
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- If using fresh octopus, freeze it solid for at least 24 hours, then thaw completely; this tenderizes the flesh naturally. Rinse well.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil with the halved onion and bay leaves (and the cork, if using, a traditional and slightly superstitious trick many Portuguese cooks swear by). Holding the octopus by the head, dip it into the boiling water 3 times, about 10 seconds each dip, letting the water return to a boil between dips; this helps the tentacles curl nicely.
- Lower the octopus fully into the pot, reduce to a gentle simmer, and cook uncovered for 40 to 50 minutes, until a knife slides into the thickest part of a tentacle with almost no resistance.
- Remove the octopus and let it cool until you can handle it, then cut the tentacles and body into bite-sized pieces.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper. Add the octopus, red onion, bell pepper, and parsley, and toss well.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight, before serving, tossing again and adjusting salt just before serving.
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