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1
Thaw the octopus and cut off the head and beak.
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2
Place the octopus in a heavy saucepan with the celery, carrot, onion, garlic, wine, and water.
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3
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
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4
Continue to cook until the octopus is fork tender, about 25 to 30 minutes.
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5
It will release a lot of liquid as it cooks and turn the cooking liquid purple, which is normal.
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6
Preheat your broiler or grill.
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7
Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
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8
Remove the octopus from its cooking liquid and place on a baking sheet.
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9
Lightly brush the octopus with olive oil and then broil or grill until it begins to brown.
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10
Allow to cool, then cut into bite-sized pieces and place in a salad bowl.
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11
Add the cherry tomatoes and arugula.
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12
Toss, then drizzle in just enough olive oil to lightly coat the greens and season with salt and pepper.
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13
Toss gently once more and arrange in individual serving bowls.
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14
Drizzle just a little of the aged balsamic over the salad in each bowl and serve.
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15
Note: Aged balsamic can be quite expensive but a little does go a long way.
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16
If it is cost-prohibitive though, you can create a lower cost version (not as good but acceptable) by reducing regular balsamic vinegar on the stove top until it is thickened.
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17
I was surprised to find that frozen octopus is actually easier to cook than its fresh cousin, as it tenderizes much quicker.
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18
This may seem like a lot of octopus when you are buying it, but octopus shrinks tremendously as it cooks.
