Octopus Salad, and Other Fruit of the Sea

My boys are very adventurous eaters for being 7 and 9... no chicken nuggets here!

It has become a bit of an unwritten rule that, when we shop for food, the boys are allowed to choose something that they would like to try... I agree to cook it, they agree to respect the food that was grown, caught, raise, harvested and butchered for us...  they help in the kitchen and we all sit and enjoy the meal together.

So, the other week, we took a ride to our local fish market, The Woodlands Seafood Company to see what fresh catch we might take home for supper.  The boys eagerly toured the shop marveling at the whole fishes, sacks of fresh oysters and crawfish.  Ooo-ing and Ah-ing at the tanks for crustaceans, mounds of different sized shrimp, and glistening filets of freshly cut fish.

My youngest found his choice quickly...Jumbo, head on shrimp, fresh from the East Coast... and though not something he had never tried before, I believe his pick had to do with his deep love of his birthplace, Savannah, Georgia.

My oldest and I walked to a center display case where I spied my choice... Ipswich Clams... a reminder of my youth in New England, and the balmy summer days we would, as a family, go clam digging for the soft shelled gems.  Then, out of the corner of my eye I saw my son's face light up when he came across the fresh, whole octopus.  He had made his choice... and I was... thrilled!

And so... On with the feast's preparation!!!   It would be history on a plate...my history... and I was sharing it with and passing it down to my children.

Let's start with the Octopus salad, since it takes the longest to prepare.  It is one of the first dishes I can remember my Puerto Rican grandmother, Lydia, teaching me how to make.  

Ensalada de Pulpo

Here's what we will need to get started:

2lbs- fresh octopus, cleaned

2- lemons,cut 

1- lime, cut

1/2 cup vinegar

5 cloves are garlic- crushed

1 TBS- Kosher Salt

1tsp- black peppercorn

4-6 quarts- cold water

Preparation is pretty simple:

Everything goes into a large stock pot.  Make sure you roll the citrus to get them nice and juicy, before cutting them in half, squeezing them into the stock pot and throwing them in.  Cover the octopus with cold water, and bring to a boil.  Then cover the pot, turn the heat to med-low  and simmer for 1 1/2- 2 hours.

So, the reason we cook this little guy for so long is that it will be way to chewy if you don't. The acid from the lemon juice and vinegar will help tenderize the octopus, as well as, impart a nice tang to it's sweet flesh.

You may notice that a couple of thing change about your octopus's appearance during the cooking process:

• the tentacles curl up on themselves, the flesh firms up and seems to shrink
• the color changes from a greyish purple to a white flesh with vibrant pink and purple highlights

Once cooked, transfer the octopus to a plate to let it cool.  Remove the tentacles from the head and any extra skin that you may find on them, then cut into 1/2 inch pieces. 

For the rest of the ingredients you will need:

1/2- medium sweet onion, finely chopped
2- Roma tomatoes, cored, seeded and diced
1-2- green bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
2- cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 1 large lemon
 2 TBS- olive oil
1 TBS- dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all of the ingredients with the octopus pieces in a mixing bowl and allow the favors to marry, in the fridge.  The longer the better, really, but... if you can't wait that long, at least give it an hour!

The flesh is sweet with a slight chew, the veggies give a nice crunch, and the lemon gives a nice brightness to the salad. 

I served the salad with steamed Ipswich Clams, served with drawn butter and grilled Georgia shrimp finished with a homemade vinegarette.

I think Grandma would be proud... and with each bite at the dinner table that night,  'her'-story was passed on to my sweet boys.