"Octopus Salad"

Many “Octopus Vulgaris” for a salad that, during the time, has become one of the better known horse-d’ouvres of Sicily. The octopus salad is a Palermo’s typical dish and in that city, people prefer the Sicilian name “purpi fraieddi” to the original Latin one and to the current Italian one. They are named this way probably because “fraenti” are called the rocks on which the water breaks its waves or maybe because “fragagghia” is called the whole of their youngs. The islander are very fond of fish, they would always eat fish and have found a large number of ways to cook it. Fish is one of the Christian symbols, and of catholicity. Dreaming of fishes in Sicily is a good luck sign.

Ingredients

For 4 Servings:
1 or more octopuses (about 1 kilo)
1 garlic clove
2 lemons
olive oil
salt and pepper
parsley.

Preparation
Boil some salt water in a big pot and put on it a cover. As soon as water boils, put in the octopus and let it cooking for 15 minutes. Turn off the flame and let the octopus rest in the water for more 20 minutes. Strain and slice it. Arrange the pieces on a large serving dish. In a cup prepare a dressing with oil, salt, pepper and chopped garlic. Pour the dressing over the cut octopus and add lemon juice. Sprinkle with the minced parsley and serve.