Octopus salad and salt and pepper squid with aioli
- Prepare
 - 30 mins to 1 hour
 - Cook
 - 30 mins to 1 hour
 - Serve
 - Serves 4
 - Dietary
 - Dairy-freeNut-free
 
A fresh citrusy salad is the perfect accompaniment to deep-fried squid and homemade aioli.
Ingredients
For the octopus
For the salad
- 300g/10½oz new potatoes, steamed until tender
 - 1 lemon, zest only
 - 1 orange, segmented
 - 100g/3½oz green olives, pitted
 - 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
 - 4 tbsp olive oil
 - 2 tbsp flatleaf parsley, chopped
 - 2 tbsp basil, torn
 
For the salt and pepper squid
- 500g/1lb 2oz squid, cleaned, trimmed and cut into rings
 - 130g/4¾oz cornflour
 - 130g/4¾oz plain flour
 - ½ tsp smoked paprika
 - 1 tbsp sea salt
 - 1 tbsp peppercorns
 
Method
For the octopus, put all the ingredients into a large pan and cover with water. Simmer for 1-1½ hours until tender. Lift out the cooked octopus and set aside to cool a little, then slice into bite-sized pieces.
For the salad, put all the ingredients into a large glass bowl and mix, season with salt and pepper. Mix in the octopus just before serving.
For the salt and pepper squid, preheat a deep-fat fryer to 180C. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)
Combine the cornflour and plain flour in a large bowl. Grind the sea salt and peppercorns to a powder in a pestle and mortar. Add the salt and pepper to the flours and mix. Dust the squid in the seasoned flours.
Deep fry the squid for 1-2 minutes. Remove using a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper until ready to serve.
Serve the dishes separately with wedges of lemon and the aioli alongside in a small bowl.







