Octopus Salad With Fresh Lime And Spring Onion

• For cooking octopus:
• a 3 1/2-pound cleaned frozen octopus*, thawed
• 2 carrots
• 1 large onion
• 1 celery rib
• 3 long fresh parsley sprigs
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 8 whole cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• For marinating octopus
• 4 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
• 1/2 tablespoon black sesame seeds**
• 1/2 tablespoon white sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced sweet onion
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 thin 1 1/2-inch-long dried red chili**
• For sauce:
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 10 fresh mint leaves
• 1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves
• 1 vine-ripened tomato
• 3 scallions
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1/4 English cucumber
• Garnish: fresh mint sprigs

1. Cut tentacles from octopus and discard head. Coarsely chop carrots, onion & celery. In a large kettle cover octopus, carrots, onion, celery, parsley, peppercorns, cloves, & bay leaf with water and bring to a boil. Simmer mixture, covered, 40 mins or until octopus is tender. Remove kettle from heat and cool mixture 30 min.
2. Transfer octopus with tongs to a colander & discard cooking liquid and vegetable mixture. Rub octopus gently under cold running water to remove outer coating without removing suction cups. Drain octopus & cut crosswise into paper-thin slices. In a bowl stir together all marinade ingredients. Transfer half of marinade to another bowl and reserve, covered and chilled. Add octopus to remaining marinade, tossing to combine. Marinate octopus, covered & chilled, 1 day. Bring octopus to room temperature before proceeding. With a slotted spoon transfer octopus and chili to bowl of reserved marinade & discard any remaining used marinade. Marinate octopus, covered and chilled, 1 day more. Bring octopus to room temperature before proceeding.
3. Make sauce:
4. In a small bowl stir together yogurt & lime juice and season with salt and pepper. Chill sauce, covered, until ready to assemble salad.
5. Cut mint & coriander leaves into thin shreds. Peel & seed tomato. Diagonally cut scallions crosswise into thin slices & cut tomato, bell pepper, & cucumber into julienne strips.
6. Transfer octopus to another bowl and discard marinade and chili. Toss octopus with shredded mint and coriander, tomato, scallions, bell pepper, cucumber, 2 T. sauce & salt & pepper.
7. Pour a small amount of sauce onto centers of 4 chilled plates. Mound 1/4 octopus salad in center of 1 plate. Repeat procedure with remaining 3 plates. Garnish salads with mint and drizzle with some sauce.

frozen octopus, carrots, onion, celery, parsley sprigs, black peppercorns, cloves, bay leaf, asian sesame oil, rice vinegar, black sesame seeds, white sesame seeds, lime juice, sweet onion, sugar, thin, plain yogurt, lime juice, mint, fresh coriander leaves, tomato, scallions, red bell pepper, cucumber, mint sprigs

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/octopus-salad-with-fresh-lime-and-spring-onion-1206174 (may not work)