1. Prepare the Octopus

Place the octopuses and a cork from a recently opened bottle of wine into a large pot of cold water. If you don’t have a bottle open, this is the perfect excuse to uncork one! The tradition of adding a cork to the water is believed to help tenderize the octopus, a tip passed down through generations in southern Italy.

Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a gentle boil and cook the octopuses for 20 minutes. Once cooked, turn off the heat and allow the octopus to cool to room temperature in the cooking water. This step helps the octopus retain its tenderness.

2. Prepare the Vegetables

While the octopus is cooling, dice the carrots, onion and celery finely, halve the cherry tomatoes, and mince the garlic until very fine. Chop the flat-leaf Italian parsley and set all the prepared ingredients aside in a medium bowl.

3. Assemble the Salad

Once the octopus has cooled, remove it from the water and pat it dry with paper towels. Cut the octopus into small bite-sized pieces and add them to the bowl with the diced vegetables. Pour in enough extra-virgin olive oil to coat the octopus, then stir in the juice of one lemon and add salt to taste.

4. Marinate and Serve

Let the salad sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together. Before serving, give the salad a final stir, taste, and adjust the seasoning with additional lemon juice or salt if needed. Serve as an appetizer or a light main course.