Moroccan cuisine · Fish & Seafood

Salade de Poulpe d'Essaouira

Tender-cooked octopus sliced and served warm with olive oil, cilantro, and paprika from the port of Essaouira.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 1 kg octopus (cleaned, frozen)
• 1 onion
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro
• 1 tsp paprika (sweet)
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 lemon
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp harissa
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Rinse the thawed octopus thoroughly, halve the onion, and put both with the bay leaves into a large pot of cold water — add salt only at the end, or the flesh will toughen.
2. Bring everything to a boil and simmer covered over low heat for 50–60 minutes, until a knife tip slides into the thickest part of the arm without resistance.
3. Let the octopus cool in its broth for 15 minutes, lift it out, and cut the arms diagonally into 1 cm thick slices, the head into strips.
4. Finely grate the garlic and mix with paprika, cumin, harissa, the lemon juice, and olive oil into a marinade, season with salt and pepper.
5. Toss the still-warm octopus pieces with the marinade and let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes, turning once.
6. Roughly chop the cilantro, fold it in, and serve the salad warm with flatbread.