Octopus Salad

This is a dish typical from the Canary Islands where I’m from. As you can see, octopus is not something that you will only find in Galician cuisine. You will find it cooked in many different ways around the coastal areas of Spain.

My cousin Tamara was kind enough to share her very own recipe with me so I could share it with you. I love this dish because it’s simple, flavour full and refreshing, great for a hot summer’s day like the ones we get so very often in the Canary Islands.

Unfortunately, my mum never prepared this recipe for us, but one of my earlier memories, probably around the age of 4, was going somewhere on the coast to visit someone I called “abuelo” (grandpa). Then, the men would go to the rocks on the beach to catch octopuses (we as kids would catch small crabs) and we would put them in a bucket and take it back to the house.

The women would prepare and cook the octopuses and also make crab soup. There was loads of people there. We ate all together on the beach under a stripy tarpaulin. White and blue. It lightly moved with the wind. There was laughter and a sense of family unity.

And this is what I think of when I see an octopus. Happy memories.

So please, enjoy this recipe that comes all the way from my kitchen to you.

You can find the step by step video to this recipe here:

Octopus Salad

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins approx
Difficulty: Easy
Rating: stars
Print

Credit: The Spaniard’s Kitchen

Ingredients

400grs Octopus sliced (already cooked. Check my Octopus Galician Style Recipe if you don’t know how to cook it)

1 Red Pepper, chopped

1 Green Pepper, chopped

1 Medium Onion, chopped

2 Ripe Tomatoes, chopped
A few handfuls of cooked mussels
A few handfuls of cooked prawns (already peeled)
1 tsp chopped Parsley
8 tbsp Olive Oil
4 tbsp White Wine Vinegar
Pepper to taste
Salt to taste

Directions

1. Add the sliced cooked octopus in to a bowl..
2. Then add the red pepper, the green pepper, the onion and the chopped tomatoes. Mix.
3. Then add the mussels without shells and the prawns. Mix.
4. In a separate small bowl pour the olive oil, followed by the vinegar, the salt & pepper and mix.
5. Pour this over the seafood and mix.
6. .Put in the fridge for at least 30 mins.
7. Serve cold with chunky bread and enjoy!