Roasted octopus with lemon and parsley
This is nice eaten with a tomato and onion salad and extra lemon wedges for squeezing. Mop up the juices with crusty bread!
We decided to add this extra special taste of Cyprus in case you're feeling adventurous! This recipe serves four as part of a meze. If you're unable to get hold of octopus, calamari or other seafood will work just as well.
Ingredients:
1 whole octopus, cleaned (get your fish counter to take beak, eyes and ink out) or alternatively use a pack of frozen calamari or seafoodSome sprigs of fresh rosemaryExtra virgin olive oilJuice of 2 lemonsA handful of flat leaf parsley, choppedSalt, to taste
Method:
Preheat the oven to 150C/120C Fan/Gas 2
Wash and clean the octopus, rinsing thoroughly. Lay it in a large shallow roasting dish and drizzle generously with olive oil and tuck the rosemary sprigs. If you are using frozen seafood, follow cooking instructions the pack.
Roast for 2-2½ hours or until tender
Transfer to a plate and using scissors snip the flesh into bite-size pieces
Whisk up a dressing of olive oil and lemon juice (approx. 2/1 ratio of oil to juice); it will turn into a smooth emulsion. Season, to taste with salt then stir in the parsley.
Drizzle the dressing over the warm octopus. Serve warm or at room temperature.