Octopus Salad

Use a pot large enough to hold the octopus beneath the water without crowding. Bring the water, onion and bay leaves to a boil. Lower in the cleaned octopus carefully, adding enough hot water to cover if needed. Wash hands and clean utensils and surfaces that touched the raw seafood.

Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and partly cover. Begin checking after 60 minutes; allow 60–90 minutes, or longer if needed. Keep the octopus submerged, topping up with hot water. Avoid a hard rolling boil.

A small knife slides into the thickest part of an arm with little resistance. Check more than one thick section; if still rubbery, simmer for another 10–15 minutes and check again. The flesh must be cooked through, not translucent.

Lift the octopus onto a clean tray and discard the cooking water, onion and bay leaves. As soon as it is cool enough to handle, cut the arms and cleaned mantle into ⅜–¾-inch pieces with a clean knife. Leave the tender skin and suckers attached; remove only loose ragged skin if preferred. Do not leave the whole pot cooling on the counter.

Squeeze half the lemon into a bowl and whisk with the olive oil, garlic and salt. Fold in the octopus, parsley and dill. Taste and adjust the salt. Cut the remaining lemon half into wedges for serving.

Transfer to a shallow covered container and refrigerate promptly at 40°F or below. Chill for 1 hour, until cold throughout; a deeper container or larger batch may need longer. Stir once before serving with the lemon wedges.

Keep refrigerated until serving. Refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking, or within 1 hour if the surroundings exceed 90°F. For best quality, eat within 2 days. Keep the salad cold during transport and discard portions left out beyond these limits.