Octopus Salad with Crostini and Potato Sauce

For the octopus salad:

• 7 oz (200 g) octopus, cut into small pieces
• 7 oz (200 g) boiled potatoes, diced
• 1 onion
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon chopped parsley
• Half a lemon (juice and grated zest)
• Extra virgin olive oil (as needed)
• Salt and pepper (as needed)

For the crostini:

• Sliced bread
• Extra virgin olive oil (as needed)
• Oregano (as needed)
• Salt (as needed)

For the potato sauce:

• 5 oz (150 g) boiled potatoes
• 1/4 cup (50 ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 2 capers
• 1 anchovy
• Salt (as needed)

• Preparing the octopus:

  • In a pot, bring water to a boil with celery, carrots, onion, bay leaf, and peppercorns.
  • Cook the octopus in the boiling water for about an hour. Drain and let it cool.
  • Cut the octopus into small pieces.

• Preparing the potatoes:

  • Dice the potatoes and boil them for 5-6 minutes until al dente. Drain and let cool.

• Assembling the salad:

  • Mix the octopus and potatoes in a bowl.
  • Add parsley, lemon zest and juice, a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well and set aside.

• Preparing the crostini:

  • Season the bread slices with olive oil, oregano, and salt.
  • Toast in the oven at 350°F (180°C) for 7 minutes until golden.

• Preparing the potato sauce:

  • Blend the boiled potatoes with olive oil, capers, anchovy, and salt until creamy. Strain to remove any lumps.

• Assembling the dish:

  • Arrange the crostini on a plate.
  • Place the octopus salad on top of the crostini.
  • Add dollops of potato sauce around the salad.