To prepare the warm octopus salad and potatoes, start with the potatoes: put on the stove a large saucepan full of cold water and add the whole potatoes in their skins, which have previously been thoroughly washed: leave to cook for about 30-40 after coming to the boil (check with a fork, if it pierces without resistance they are ready).
You can reduce the cooking time by cooking the potatoes in a pressure cooker. Meanwhile, start cleaning the octopus: turn it inside-out and empty the head, remove the beak that lies at the centre of the tentacles with a sharp knife and then remove the eyes; then rinse well under running water. (If you use a fresh octopus it is recommended that you to beat it with a rolling pin to make it more tender; alternatively or you can deep-freeze it for a few days).
In another saucepan, pour plenty of water, add the bay leaves and bring to a boil. Once the water has started to boil, immerse only the tentacles of the octopus for a few moments and remove again from the water. Repeat this dipping procedure 2-3 times or until the tentacles curl up naturally. Then fully immerse the whole octopus, cover with a lid and cook for 50 minutes over medium heat. For optimum cooking, remember to allow about 20-25 minutes for every 500 grams of octopus.
Meanwhile, when the potatoes are cooked, drain and peel them, taking care not to burn yourself, and cut them into 2-3 cm cubes. Set them aside and keep warm. Prepare the lemon dressing: in a jar with a lid, pour the squeezed lemon juice, add the olive oil, salt and pepper and close, shake until thoroughly mixed. Wash and finely chop the parsley. When the octopus has cooked sufficiently, strain it and allow to cool for 10 minutes, then place it on a cutting board and dice it into small pieces by first cutting off the head, pulling the tentacles from the centre of the carcass and then reducing to about 2-3 cm pieces.
Put the octopus pieces into a large bowl, add the warmed potatoes, season with the lemon dressing with the chopped parsley and stir gently to flavour. The warm octopus salad is ready to be brought to the table!
Recipe by: http://ricette.giallozafferano.it/Insalata-tiepida-di-polpo-e-patate.html
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