Boiled Octopus "alla forchetta"
The flagship dish of Elban cuisine

The simplest and most representative preparation: Tyrrhenian octopus boiled with coarse salt and chilli, left to cool in its own water, then sliced and dressed with Elban extra virgin olive oil, parsley and a squeeze of lemon. Eaten with the fork as antipasto or main. The abundance and quality of the catch make it a daily recipe on the island.

Ingredients

• Octopus 1 kg
• Water 3 litres
• Plenty of coarse salt
• Chilli
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Lemon
• Parsley
• Garlic

Method

1. Salt the water generously — about three times what you would use for pasta — add the chilli and bring to the boil.
2. Dip the octopus in three times holding it with a fork: this is what curls the tentacles.
3. Submerge it completely and boil for about 30 minutes, depending on its weight.
4. Turn off the heat and leave the octopus to rest in its own water for 20 minutes: this is where it becomes tender.
5. Slice and dress with extra virgin olive oil, parsley, garlic and a squeeze of lemon. In Portoferraio it is also eaten just as it is, speared on a fork.