Cypriot Recipes

Octopus Salad

Octopus is not a familiar food to everyone, but it is common in some types of cuisine like Japanese, Mediterranean or Polynesian. It has many health benefits and can be prepared in many different ways, making it a valuable addition to a balanced diet.

Octopus is a low calorie, lean seafood, making it a good way to get protein in your diet without adding too much fat. There are approximately 150 calories per 100g of octopus, with only 1.8g of fat. Octopus is a very good source of iron, which is a common deficiency leading to weakness, fatigue and anemia.

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Ingredients

300g octopus – cleaned, washed and cut into large pieces***

1 and ½ litre water

1 tbsp salt

100-150g onions, finely chopped

250g tomatoes, cut into small pieces

2 spring onions, chopped

100g olives, either black or green to taste (I personally prefer the green stuffed olives)

2 tbsp parsley, chopped

4 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp olive oil

*** You can buy octopus either fresh or frozen, in one piece or precut.

Preparation 

Put water and salt into a large saucepan, bring up to boil and add the cut octopus. Cook until the octopus is soft (approx. 45 minutes). Drain well.

Put the octopus, tomatoes, onions, spring onions, parsley and olives into a large salad bowl and mix well.

Mix olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a separate bowl. Add a little bit of sugar to taste. Pour the sauce over the salad and mix well. Serve on a bed of fresh lettuce.

Goes well with fresh bread and butter.