When it comes to octopus, there’s a saying in Naples that never fails: “O purpo s’adda cocere cu’ l’acqua soja”, meaning “the octopus should be cooked in its own water.” And that’s how most people prepare it: letting the octopus release its own liquids during cooking, without adding anything else. However, there are some exceptions—sometimes a bit of water is added, especially when cooking it for a salad.
If you decide to boil the octopus in water, the steps to achieve a perfect result are simple and timeless. First, holding the octopus by the head, dip the tentacles into the boiling water for a few seconds, repeating this process several times. This trick helps the tentacles curl up, allowing the octopus to cook evenly and settle nicely in the pot. For optimal cooking, allow about 30 minutes of boiling for each kilogram of octopus. Check for doneness by piercing the base of the tentacles with a fork: if it goes in easily, the octopus is ready. If you like it crunchy, remove it immediately from the water; if you prefer it tender, let it rest in the cooking water for another half hour with the heat turned off.
One golden rule to always remember: never salt the octopus’s cooking water. Octopus has a natural saltiness and doesn’t need any extra salt. However, you can enhance the water with a bit of acidity, like vinegar or lemon, and add your favorite herbs—I often use bay leaves and coriander seeds. If you plan to use the broth for other dishes, you can also add some vegetables, like half an onion or a carrot, to enrich the flavors.
This time, the octopus I used was particularly large, and after boiling it, I prepared two delicious dishes. I served the tentacles over boiled potatoes flavored with a hint of saffron, while the rest of the octopus was cut into pieces and mixed with a classic potato salad. The salad was left to marinate in the fridge for 24 hours.
Finger-licking good!
Recipe for Octopus with Potatoes
Ingredients:
- 1 kg octopus
- 800 g potatoes
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 lemon (optional)
- 1 carrot (optional)
- 1 onion (optional)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped
Preparation:
- Cleaning the octopus:
- If the octopus isn’t already cleaned, remove the eyes and the beak, then rinse it well under running water to remove any impurities.
- Cooking the octopus:
- Bring a pot of water to a boil with a bay leaf, carrot, and onion to add flavor (optional).
- Holding the octopus by the head, dip the tentacles into the boiling water 2-3 times to make them curl up.
- Fully submerge the octopus in the water and cook over medium heat for about 30-40 minutes, or until tender (cooking time depends on the size of the octopus). Check the doneness by piercing the tentacles with a fork—if it goes in easily, the octopus is ready.
- Turn off the heat and let the octopus rest in the cooking water for an additional 20-30 minutes to make it even more tender.
- Cooking the potatoes:
- While the octopus is cooking, wash the potatoes and boil them in salted water for about 20-30 minutes, or until soft. Check with a fork.
- Once cooked, drain, peel, and cut the potatoes into medium-sized pieces.
- Assembly:
- Once the octopus is ready, remove it from the cooking water and cut it into pieces (tentacles and body).
- In a large bowl, combine the octopus pieces with the boiled potatoes.
- Seasoning:
- Drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste.
- Add freshly chopped parsley for extra freshness.
- Resting:
- Let the dish rest for at least 30 minutes in the fridge or at room temperature to allow the flavors to meld together.
- Serving:
- Serve the octopus with potatoes at room temperature as an appetizer or main course. You can accompany it with some crusty bread for an added touch.
Buon appetito! (Enjoy your meal!)
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Iggy Poppins is a Freelance Journalist, Photographer, Videomaker, wiriter and a little bit artist. The nickname was born casually…