When your first-ever bite of octopus is a same-day catch off the northern coast of Spain, cooked to exacting tenderness, seasoned simply with garlic, Spanish paprika and salt, and swimming in a pool of olive oil, it’s easy to fall prey to the delicacy of this tentacled sea creature after just one forkful.
Pulpo gallego, the dish described above, is the minimalistic style in which I typically prepare octopus, particularly this time of year, when seafood served in oily, aromatic liquid – plus crusty bread to sop it all up – makes for light, satisfying eating.
Pulpo gallego is a refreshing appetizer during hot weather, but there are loads of other ways with octopus. In her new cookbook, Salad for Dinner, author Jeanne Kelly offers a recipe for baby octopus and white bean salad. Using bulbous and root vegetables like celery, fennel bulb and red onion, along with flavor enhancers like bay leaves, parsley and garlic, and tossing it all with hearty cannellini beans, sounded like a terrific way to muscle a salad into entree territory.
The idea behind the recipe is great: a combination of tender, meaty seafood and crispy, raw vegetables, plus lots of fresh flavor and enough heft to make the dish a meal. However, after preparing the salad, there are a number of changes that I would make. First, pile on the octopus! The dish is called “Baby Octopus and White Bean Salad,” yet the recipe only calls for 8 ounces of raw octopus – which, by my scale, equaled a measly 3 baby octopi. And once cooked, a baby octopus shrinks so much, it looks more like a preemie. So what did I do? I added all 24 remaining ounces that I bought at Bob’s Seafood (since it sells frozen baby octopus in 2-pound packages).
Next, dial back on the prescribed four ribs of celery and the fennel bulb. All that crunchiness drowns out the great flavor of the sea. The salad really only needs 1 celery rib – 2 at the most – and maybe half a bulb of fennel. Otherwise, you might as well call this recipe, “Celery and Fennel with Baby Octopus and White Beans.” Also, be generous in adding oil if your version turns out too dry; I added at least 3 tablespoons more than the recipe called for.
In Salad for Dinner, Kelly offers thoughtful salad combinations for many recipes, which range from vegetarian to those that include meat, poultry or fish. So, rather than dismiss the entire cookoook just because I think the proportions were off in this particular recipe, I’d like to view Salad for Dinner as an idea board for tossing together delicious salads at home. Because really, is there any category of dish as noncommittal as a salad? Go ahead and mix it up; there are no rules to break.
Baby Octopus and White Bean Salad 6 Servings 8 oz. baby octopus, thawed if frozen, or 14 to 15 oz. (about 2 packages) marinated baby octopus salad, drained
2 bay leaves, preferably fresh (if using fresh or frozen octopus)
½ tsp. kosher salt (if using fresh or frozen octopus)
6 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
2 15-oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and chopped
4 celery ribs, sliced
½ red onion, thinly sliced
2/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
• If using fresh or frozen thawed octopus: Combine the octopus, bay leaves and salt in a heavy, large pot. Add enough water to cover by several inches and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add salt. Simmer until the octopus is very tender when pierced with a sharp knife, about 1 to 1½ hours. Drain and let cool completely.
• Thinly slice the cooked or marinated octopus heads and cut the tentacle sections in half if large.
• In a large bowl, whisk the oil, lemon juice and garlic to blend. Add the octopus, along with the remaining ingredients, and stir to combine.
Note: The salad can be prepared 1 day ahead; cover and refrigerate. Before serving, adjust the seasoning, adding additional lemon juice or olive oil if necessary. Tell us about your favorite way to turn a salad from a starter dish into an entree in the comments section below for a chance to win a copy of Salad for Dinner by Jeanne Kelley. We’ll announce the winner in next week’s By the Book column. And now, we’d like to congratulate Ian, whose comment on last week’s By the Book column has won him a copy of Barbecue & Grill. Ian, keep an eye out for an email from the Sauce crew.
This article appears in July 2012.