In a Mocktopus’s Garden

Our family’s all-time favorite appetizer at DiSalvo’s is the grilled octopus. It is served with potatoes over a bed of greens that are dressed in a lemony vinaigrette. There may be bacon or pancetta involved, too. Our Ben’s Day Wednesday meal this week was inspired by DiSalvo’s awesome dish.

You know what’s easy? Eating octopus at DiSalvo’s. You know what’s hard? Sourcing octopus in Williamsport. Now, if I were really serious about getting my hands on some tentacles, I probably could have figured it out, but I don’t really have the wherewithal at this point in my life. The closest thing I could scrounge up was a frozen bag of shrimp, scallops, and calamari. 

Mocktopus’s Garden

4 medium red potatoes, each cut into 1 inch squarish chunks

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

Salt and pepper to taste

Juice of 3 lemons, divided

1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil, divided

1 garlic clove, minced

5 cups packed mixed spring greens

1 pound polska kielbasa

1 frozen pound mixed seafood, including scallops, shrimp, and calamari (thawed and patted dry)

1. Place potatoes in salted cold water to cover, bring to boil, and cook 8 minutes, or until tender. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, cut the kielbasa into thirds – two long logs and one curved piece. Keeping the ends of the long logs intact (the head of the octopus), cut the bottom ends into eighths (the tentacles). Cut the curved piece in half and do the same cuts to make two mini mocktopi.
3. Heat a little olive oil in cast iron pan. Cook kielbasa, turning until all parts are browned and curled. Remove to plate, reserving pan.
4. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil or more in kielbasa pan. Add cooked, drained potatoes and cook until some crispy parts form. Add smoked paprika, salt, and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
5. In a large bowl, make vinaigrette for greens by whisking the juice of 2 lemons, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper together. Slowly pour 1/4 cup or more olive oil into lemon juice mixture, whisking vigorously. Put greens into dressing, and toss to coat. Place greens on large serving platter, reserving some dressing in bowl.
6. Place potatoes on top of dressed greens. Drizzle reserved dressing on top of potatoes. Add kielbasa.
7. In a non-stick skillet, heat a little olive oil. Add seafood and cook until done. Our pieces were rather small. Maybe 5 minutes over medium heat? I don’t know. I didn’t keep track and I have debilitating seafood insecurity. 
8. Sprinkle juice of 1 lemon over seafood. Add cooked seafood to platter. Drizzle pan drippings over platter, if you are so inclined. 

Wondering how everything turned out? It was great! The only thing I would tweak next time would be to skip the potatoes, the dressed greens, the kielbasa, and the mixed seafood. Instead, I would sub in a reservation at DiSalvo’s. Ben found our mocktopus’s garden so “delightful” that he had multiple servings the first day and again (cold) on the second day, and maybe even the third day. The beauty is that it is a salad, an appetizer, and the only thing you’re getting tonight, all on one plate! Enjoy!