Greek Octopus Salad

  • 1 1/2 lb octopus
  • 1 cup hearty red wine
  • 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • salt to taste
  • pepper to taste
  • 3/4 cup black olives
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
    Hold octopus firmly by head. Using a sharp knife, cut through flesh below eyes, severing head from tentacles. Turn body pouch inside out and discard viscera. Wash well under cold running water. Pick up tentacles; with index finger underneath the center, push the beak up and cut it away. To tenderize tentacles, beat with a mallet until they feel soft and have lost their springiness. Remove any scales left in the suckers. Plunge octopus into a pan of boiling salted water for 5 minutes; drain well and leave until cool enough to handle. Using a sharp knife or scissors, cut octopus in 1-inch pieces. Put in a saucepan with no extra liquid and heat gently until it produces its own liquid. Increase the heat a little until the liquid has evaporated, then add wine, vinegar, honey, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 1 hour, or until tender. Leave octopus in pan until cold, then with a slotted spoon, transfer to a serving dish; add olives. Mix 1/2 cup cooking liquid with olive oil and seasoning. Pour over octopus and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with lettuce leaves. Serves 4 .