Serves: 4 | Time: 1 hr 10 min
This Brazilian-style seafood salad works as a main course or a generous starter. The Salsa Verde does double duty as marinade and dressing. Make it first to allow the flavors to develop.
The word salpicão (Portuguese) or salpicón (Spanish) broadly means a”medley” of ingredients accompanied with a sauce. Salpicon has traveled far from its Iberian roots and has many local variations. In Brazil, salpicão is typically served cold at parties and celebrations. In Mexico and Central America it refers to a chopped flank steak salad with avocado, tomato, and vinegar, often served with tostadas, while in the Philippines “beef salpicao” is a garlicky stir-fried beef dish eaten over rice. This Atlantic version stays true to the Portuguese original: a seafood platter dressed with an herbaceous and delectable green sauce.
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 1 lb (450 g) pre-cooked octopus tentacles
- 1/2 lb (225 g) large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 lb (450 g) waxy potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch slices
- 1 cup (240 g) roasted artichoke hearts, halved
- 1 large red pepper, cut in 1/2 inch slices
- 8 oz (225 g) asparagus tips or green beans cut into 2.5 inches pieces
- 4 eggs, hard-boiled and sliced, for garnish
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- salt and black pepper, to taste
For the Salsa Verde:
- ½ cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup (30 g) flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 1 Tbsp capers, drained and chopped
- 2 anchovies fillets, drained
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar or lemon juice or to taste
- salt and black pepper, to taste
Preparation
Salsa Verde: Combine the olive oil, parsley, capers, garlic, anchovies, red wine vinegar or lemon juice in a food processor. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. If sauce seems too thick just thin it up with a bit of cold water. The sauce will improves as it sits.
Octopus and Shrimp: Brush pre-cooked octopus with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Grill it on a hot grill pan for 3–4 minutes per side or until lightly charred. Let it cool and cut into bite-sized pieces. Toss the shrimp with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Grill for 2 minutes per side until just pink and cooked through. Set aside with the octopus.
Asparagus and Potatoes: Blanch the asparagus tips in salted water for 2–3 minutes. If using green beans, cook them until “al dente”. Transfer to ice water to stop the cooking and keeping them green. Drain well and set aside on paper towels. Boil the sliced potatoes until soft, about 5-8 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool. In the meantime saute the red pepper slices in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat until slightly soft, about 3-4 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Assemble. Arrange the potatoes as a base on a large serving platter. Drizzle some of the salsa Verde on top. Layer the octopus, shrimp, artichoke hearts, red peppers, and asparagus or green beans on top of the potatoes. Spoon some salsa Verde over the salad and toss gently. Garnish with the sliced eggs and serve with the remaining salsa Verde on the side.
Notes
Potatoes: Use a waxy variety like Yukon Gold or fingerlings. They hold their shape when sliced and don’t turn the salad starchy.
Make ahead: The whole salad can be assembled a few hours in advance (without the eggs). Keep refrigerated and bring to room temperature before serving. Add eggs and the final drizzle of salsa Verde just before serving.
Salsa verde: Quantities are flexible. Taste as you go — more vinegar for sharpness, more capers for brine, more parsley for freshness.
