Croatian Grilled Octopus Salad With Chickpeas

This is a specialty served in what seems like every restaurant in the south of Croatia from Dubrovnik to Split. It is a very traditional salad in the Dalmation region and very refreshing in the heat of summer. It is always tossed in a nice local olive oil with tomatoes, cucumbers and fresh herbs, but it varies as to whether it contains other ingredients such as olives, red onions and chickpeas. I think chickpeas are not as a traditional of an ingredient, but it is mediterranean and fits in well with the other ingredients. Most of the time the octopus is just boiled or pan fried, but I think that just setting it on the grill for a few minutes after it is cooked adds a nice, summer, element and a bit of char adds to the flavor. You really can make the choice yourself.

I have used a frozen octopus, as after the octopus is frozen and then cooked, it makes for a better texture. You can grill it right away, but the texture of the skin is also better and takes a better char if you let it air dry for an hour. Just leave it on the counter with paper towels if your house is cool enough, or set it in the refrigerator. If you wish, you can actually cook the octopus the day before and then cut and assemble the salad up to a few hours before serving.

Prep Time: 15-20 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes

(The octopus needs to simmer for an hour and 20 minutes, however, if you purchase pre-cooked octopus like they sell at Costco, you can throw together the salad quickly and the prep time is reduced to only 15 minutes.

Serves: 4 for dinner, 6 for side salad

Ingredients:

For the octopus:

1 5 lb. octopus, frozen preferred

(or 3 lbs. cooked octopus, sold at Costco)

3 bay leaves

1 onion, quartered

1 lemon, squeezed of its juice into the water and halved

1 Tbs salt

3 Tbs olive oil

2 Tbs olive oil and 1 tsp salt reserved to toss octopus in before grilling

For the salad:

7 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 large or 2 medium cucumber, Sliced thick and quartered

5 Tbs chopped red onion

25 whole green or black olives (or a mixture)

⅓ cup, plus 2 Tbs good, olive oil

¾ cup cooked chickpeas

5 Tbs fresh lemon juice

2 cloves, fresh minced garlic

1 Tbs red wine vinegar

¼ cup parsley, roughly chopped (additional for topping and decorating)

1¾ tsp salt

Fresh ground pepper to taste

To serve:

Lemon Slices and Fresh Rosemary sprigs

Directions:

1. Fill a large stockpot ¾ way from the top with water. Cut the lemon in half, squeeze all of the juice into the cooking water. Add the bay leaves, the quartered onion, 1 Tbs of salt and the 3 Tbs of olive oil. Rinse the octopus. Add the octopus to the water. Cover and bring to a simmer. Remove the top, simmer for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Drain. Cut the legs off of the octopus and discard the head. Place the legs in the refrigerator for a hour to dry. If you are in a hurry and do not have time for this, it is ok. It just gives the skin a better texture when grilled. You can pat dry the legs carefully as to not knock off the suckers. You can also do all of this the day before, including grilling the octopus.

2. Toss the cooked octopus legs in the olive oil and salt, grind fresh pepper over them. Grill the legs for two minutes on each side. Cut into ½ inch to 1 inch slices. I also left some of the legs in larger pieces to decorate the top of the salad.

3. Combine all of the ingredients for the salad together. Add the octopus. Serve with lemon wedges. I have decorated it with fresh rosemary.