Octopus and Potato Salad

The first Silver Spoon cookbook, Il Cucchiaio d’Argento, was published in 1950 in Italy. This seems pretty incredible to me since the book eventually became an institution in the USA, although only in 2005. It was a super hefty volume at 1,263 pages. Since then, there have been many Silver Spoon publications that focused on various Italian regions or only desserts, but in 2019 The Silver Spoon Classic was published featuring 170 authentic Italian recipes from the original book, but revamped slightly.

What I didn’t realize when I purchased the book is that there are no authors, or anyone to whom to give recipe credit. But that doesn’t matter now that I’ve read through it. The recipes are familiar, but also some are delicious surprises, like Cheese Focaccia and Mussels au Gratin.

When I came across a very simple salad with octopus and potatoes, I knew I’d be making it. And it’s all mine because I don’t know anyone else nearby who eats octopus. Such is life.

Note from the book: “To ensure the octopus stays tender once cooked, freeze it for a few hours before cooking. However, the octopus must be completely defrosted and thoroughly cleaned before you cook it.” (I purchased mine already frozen.)

Octopus and Potato Salad
Insalata di Polpi E Patate
Printable recipe below

1 – 2 1/4 pound octopus, cleaned
4 potatoes, unpeeled (I used golden baby potatoes)
1 tablespoon dry white wine
Pinch of fresh rosemary needles (I opted for parsley)
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
Capers, optional

Put the octopus in a large pot and add water to cover and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, or until tender.

Remove the pan from the heat and let cool in the cooking liquid, then drain, skin, and cut into pieces.

Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in salted, boiling water for about 30 minutes, until tender, then drain, peel, and dice them. (I just halved the baby potatoes.)

Put them in a salad bowl and sprinkle with the wine. (I also added olive oil because I feel cooked potatoes always need some oil.)

Add the octopus, season with salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle with the rosemary (or chopped parsley), and drizzle with olive oil.

This salad is outstanding! I eventually added some red wine vinegar for more zing, but it is so good either way.