MINI OCTOPUS RECIPES

Steps:

• Take a heavy bottom stock pot and keep the octopus in it and pour the bay leaves and water.
• Pour 1 cup of water and boil it.
• Cover it up, and reduce heat, simmer and cook it until the octopus is tenderized, at least for 45 minutes.
• Alternatively, Chop together the gremolata ingredients and add them in a small bowl, while the octopus is braising.
• Rinse canned chickpeas and drain them. Add them in a food processor or blender and olive oil, salt, lemon, and pepper.
• Give it several pulses until you get a smooth mixture.
• Take out the octopus from the heat in the pot and keep it in a covered container to cool down and reach room temperature.
• Take out the octopus from water and use paper towels, dry it out by patting.
• Chop its tentacles into 2-inch pieces. Chop up the rings out of the head portion.
• Mix the cornstarch and flour and then sprinkle some salt and pepper in a plastic bag.
• Take a deep frying pan and heat an inch of oil to 375 degrees F.
• Use paper towels and line a paper plate.
• Keep some pieces of octopus in the bag at a time and shake it to coat up with the flour mixture.
• Once the oil gets heated, fry the octopus pieces until they take golden brown colour. It will take about 1 or 2 minutes.
• Get a slotted spoon to shift the octopus pieces to the paper plate to drain and end up frying the left-over of the octopus in a similar way.
• While the octopus is still warm, serve it on a bed of the chickpea puree along with gremolata.

Steps:

• Scrub potatoes, place in a pot with steamer insert and cook for about 35 minutes ot until tender. Let potatoes evaporate lightly and peel. 
• Peel onions and garlic and cut into small cubes, bring vegetable broth to a boil and add onions and garlic, set aside. Rinse parsley, shake dry, pluck off leaves and chop. Add vinegar to cooled broth, cut potatoes into cubes, pour vinegar mixture over them and let stand for about 10 minutes. Add oil, toss salad gently and season with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Place warm salad into 4 bowls and sprinke with parsley. Top with mini octopuses and serve.