The 🐙 Octopus, or the Polpo “Pourpi” is a Christmas tradition. Part of the feast of the seven fishes, this is one we can’t do Christmas without.
Instructions:
Thaw and rinse the octopus
Using a knife, cut and pry out the beak
Rinse and clean the octopus with sea salt (These octopus heads are already clean, which makes it easier)
Boil the octopus (about an hour) in a big pot. (if they’re bigger they may take longer)
Cook to a texture of your liking
Chop up the legs, remove the heads, and add the legs to a big bowl.
Mix together with the following:
Add Castelvetrano olives
Add celery
Add greens + parsley
Garnish with lemon slices + cherry tomato
When ready to serve, dress with a mix of olive oil, lemon, and vinegar
Ingredients:
Octopus 🐙
Sea salt
Castelvetrano olives
Celery
Mixed Greens
Parsley
Lemon
Cherry tomatoes
Olive oil
Lemon juice
White vinegar
Making the Polpo for Christmas has been my Dad’s thing for years. That process has left us with many stories, like the times he’s made the whole house stink for a week or another time when he started a fire along the side of the garage. No matter the madness, it’s always lit up the enthusiasm of the guests he’s served, becoming one of the most anticipated dishes of the season.
This year I followed him, along with my nephew Josh, to Vince and Joe’s, a local grocery store in Shelby Township, Michigan, to capture the process and a special family tradition that marks our holiday season.
A photo from the day.