Name: Pulpo al olivo with botija olive sauce
Prep time: 18 min
Total time: 28 min
Cuisine: Peruvian cuisine
Ingredients: 500 g fully cooked octopus, chilled, well drained and sliced thinly; 120 g black botija olives, pitted and drained; 160 g commercial mayonnaise, refrigerated; 25 ml fresh lime juice, strained; 10 ml extra-virgin olive oil, for finishing; 1 g ground black pepper, freshly ground; 120 g ripe avocado, peeled and sliced; 10 g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Yield 4 servings

Prep 18 minutes

Cook 0 minutes

Passive 10 minutes

Total 28 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Pulpo al olivo with botija olive sauce

Pulpo al olivo is recognizable by its contrast: tender, thinly sliced octopus and a thick, purple-grey sauce made from dark olives. Botija olives, widely used in Peru, have a distinct salty, concentrated flavour; the dressing should be spoonable rather than runny.

This cold preparation starts with fully cooked octopus from a reliable supplier. That avoids uncertain cooking times for widely different sizes of raw octopus, while retaining the fundamental serving style. Slices need to be thin enough that the tentacles feel tender rather than chewy.

Purchased mayonnaise provides an even emulsion. Blend the pitted olives with lime juice, then fold into mayonnaise and taste before adding any further seasoning: bottled olives and mayonnaise are already salty. The dish should remain refrigerated until the moment it is plated.

Ingredients

Seafood

500 g fully cooked octopus, chilled, well drained and sliced thinly

Olive dressing

120 g black botija olives, pitted and drained
160 g commercial mayonnaise, refrigerated
25 ml fresh lime juice, strained
10 ml extra-virgin olive oil, for finishing
1 g ground black pepper, freshly ground

To serve

120 g ripe avocado, peeled and sliced
10 g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Method

Check and slice the octopus.Confirm the 500 g octopus is labelled fully cooked and has remained refrigerated at 4 °C or below. Pat dry with clean paper towel and slice tentacles thinly with a sharp knife. Time: 7 minutes. Readiness: Each slice is even, tender-looking and free of loose cooking liquid. Keep cooked seafood separate from raw seafood and chilled until plating.
Blend the olives.Blend the 120 g pitted botija olives with 25 ml lime juice and 1 g pepper, scraping down the sides until a thick, mostly smooth paste forms. Time: 3 minutes. Readiness: There are no whole olives remaining and the paste holds together on a spoon.
Make the dressing.Fold the olive paste into 160 g commercial mayonnaise until evenly coloured, without adding extra water; cover the bowl. Time: 3 minutes. Readiness: The dressing is creamy, smooth and thick enough to cling to octopus slices.
Chill the dressing.Place the covered sauce in a refrigerator at 4 °C or below for 10 minutes while preparing the serving plates. Time: 10 minutes passive chilling. Readiness: The sauce remains cold and holds a soft spooned peak. Mandatory safe endpoint: 4 °C. Do not hold mayonnaise and cooked seafood at room temperature.
Plate and finish.Divide the 500 g octopus and 120 g avocado over four chilled plates. Spoon on all the olive sauce, drizzle with 10 ml olive oil, and sprinkle with 10 g chopped parsley. Serve cold. Time: 4 minutes. Readiness: Octopus slices remain visible beneath a thin coat of sauce, not submerged in liquid.

Practical

Serving and storage

Serve cold as a starter, spreading the dressing across rather than drowning the octopus. Keep at 4 °C or below and consume within 24 hours after assembling; discard portions left out for more than 2 hours. Do not freeze the mayonnaise dressing.

Substitutions

Other recipes make their own mayonnaise, but a commercial product provides a straightforward controlled base. Other dark olives give a different salty or bitter profile; label the change rather than calling them botija.

Control points

CheckPossible cause — If the dressing is too salty, use less of it on each slice rather than adding salt.
CheckPossible cause — If the sauce is loose, drain the olives thoroughly and use thick mayonnaise.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size1 of 4 servings
Calories480 kcal
Carbohydrate10 g
Protein22 g
Fat40 g
Fibre3 g
Sodium1050 mg

Allergens and food safety

Main allergens and dietary notices: mollusc (octopus); egg and possibly mustard in commercial mayonnaise; verify label. Use fully cooked commercially handled octopus, never raw octopus for this cold assembly. Keep octopus and commercial mayonnaise at or below 4 °C; serve promptly. Refrigerate perishables promptly and observe the specific storage and reheating guidance above.

Closing

On the plate: Cooked octopus is served in thin slices with a creamy black-olive dressing, lime and olive oil for a cold Peruvian seafood starter.
The key control: Purchased mayonnaise provides an even emulsion.