If you are a seafood lover you will absolutely enjoy this fresh and light Portuguese Octopus Salad or Salada de Polvo in Portuguese.
This salad is very delicious and works great as an appetizer. It is usually served with fresh bread or crackers.
Octopus takes a huge part in Portuguese cuisine, not as big as a codfish, but still pretty massive.
There are many recipes that you can make with it – baked, grilled, and even stewed.
This Portuguese Octopus salad doesn’t require many ingredients. You only need fresh bell pepper, onion, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, and parsley. If you are not a fan of peppers, you may omit them.
Can I use canned octopus?
Yes. In fact, I like to use canned octopus here, too. It makes it very easy to make this fancy appetizer in just 10 minutes.
Simply chop the vegetables and add your canned octopus, mix all the ingredients and your Salada de Polvo is ready.
Your guests will be impressed and you will not be disappointed either.
Is it possible to use a fresh octopus?
Yes, it is. You can buy a fresh octopus and boil it for thirty minutes until the tentacles are soft.
Then, cut them into pieces, and unless the octopus is as chewy as a rubber, you’ve cooked your octopus to perfection!
Can I use frozen octopus?
Absolutely. Defrost the octopus completely, clean it if it wasn’t cleaned before, and cook in water with a small onion.
How many servings?
You can serve one octopus of 2 pounds (or 1 kilogram) to a party of up to 12 people. But I am using this recipe in particular to feed up to 4 people.
What does octopus salad pair with?
Enjoy this fresh and juicy Portuguese Octopus Salad with a piece of bread and a glass of white wine.
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