Real Octopus In Salad

Preparation:

Preparation: Take a real octopus: the eight tentacles, each equipped with a double row of suckers, proclaim its identity. Boil water in a large saucepan and, holding the octopus by the head, which has not been washed or cleaned previously, immerse it 3 consecutive times in the boiling water. The fishermen of Cagliari ensure that this preliminary operation, as well as making the mollusk look like a large flower, makes its flesh soft. Then renew the water in the pot, salt it with a teaspoon of coarse salt and put the cold octopus in it. Slowly bring to the boil, put a lid on and simmer for over 90 minutes, until, that is, by pricking it with a fork, you are sure that the octopus has become tender. For the necessary cooking times, it must be based on the weight of the mollusc, calculating that about 90 minutes are needed for each kilo of octopus. When cooked, pour out the water and keep the octopus in the pot, covered, until it has become cold. Only then place it on the chopping board, remove the head from the tentacles, free it from the bag of ink (keep the bag full of the brown contents aside), cut it into strips, divide the tentacles into pieces of about 3 cm and put everything in a salad bowl. Prepare the dressing with a glass of oil, 2 spoonfuls of strong vinegar, the garlic, the chopped parsley and the brown sauce from the octopus, kept in reserve. Emulsify everything well and pour it into the salad bowl, stir well and leave to rest for at least 1 hour before serving.