Ingredients

For cooking octopus:

a 3 1/2-pound cleaned frozen octopus*, thawed

2 carrots

1 large onion

1 celery rib

3 long fresh parsley sprigs

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

8 whole cloves

1 bay leaf

For marinating octopus

4 tablespoons Asian sesame oil

2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar

1/2 tablespoon black sesame seeds**

1/2 tablespoon white sesame seeds

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons thinly sliced sweet onion

3 tablespoons sugar

1 thin 1 1/2-inch-long dried red chili**

For sauce:

1 cup plain yogurt

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

10 fresh mint leaves

1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves

1 vine-ripened tomato

3 scallions

1/2 red bell pepper

1/4 English cucumber

Garnish: fresh mint sprigs

Preparation

Cut tentacles from octopus and discard head. Coarsely chop carrots, onion & celery. In a large kettle cover octopus, carrots, onion, celery, parsley, peppercorns, cloves, & bay leaf with water and bring to a boil. Simmer mixture, covered, 40 mins or until octopus is tender. Remove kettle from heat and cool mixture 30 min. Transfer octopus with tongs to a colander & discard cooking liquid and vegetable mixture. Rub octopus gently under cold running water to remove outer coating without removing suction cups. Drain octopus & cut crosswise into paper-thin slices. In a bowl stir together all marinade ingredients. Transfer half of marinade to another bowl and reserve, covered and chilled. Add octopus to remaining marinade, tossing to combine. Marinate octopus, covered & chilled, 1 day. Bring octopus to room temperature before proceeding. With a slotted spoon transfer octopus and chili to bowl of reserved marinade & discard any remaining used marinade. Marinate octopus, covered and chilled, 1 day more. Bring octopus to room temperature before proceeding.

Make sauce: In a small bowl stir together yogurt & lime juice and season with salt and pepper. Chill sauce, covered, until ready to assemble salad.

Cut mint & coriander leaves into thin shreds. Peel & seed tomato. Diagonally cut scallions crosswise into thin slices & cut tomato, bell pepper, & cucumber into julienne strips.

Transfer octopus to another bowl and discard marinade and chili. Toss octopus with shredded mint and coriander, tomato, scallions, bell pepper, cucumber, 2 T. sauce & salt & pepper.

Pour a small amount of sauce onto centers of 4 chilled plates. Mound 1/4 octopus salad in center of 1 plate. Repeat procedure with remaining 3 plates. Garnish salads with mint and drizzle with some sauce.