Sautéed octopus on a bed of lemony greens

Octopus is not difficult to cook. Don’t be afraid. It may be uncommon in American households but my avid readers know how much I adore Greek food and it’s a common dish in Mediterranean cuisine.

This salad takes five minutes and could not look more impressive. Octopus either needs to be cooked very quickly or very slowly. In this case, 1-2 minutes in butter and olive oil with garlic and parsley is all baby octopus needs to be a delicious appetizer. Throw it on top of lemony greens and grate a little lemon zest on top for an elegant first course.

The Rose Table Captain Marvel is sponsored by Captain Marvel, out on Digital May 28 and blu-ray June 11. The Rose Table Captain Marvel is dedicated to my #MARVELousMom, Mama Rose Table!

What is a flerken, you ask? I came up with this recipe for my Captain Marvel dinner party. I was stumped on what to serve as an appetizer until I saw the movie and was positively delighted by the adorable cat Goose who shoots octopus tentacles out of its mouth to eat some bad guys and save Nick Fury. Goose is an alien species called a flerken, hence the name Flerken Salad.

I served the dish in comic book lunch boxes because Carol tricks the bad guys with a lunch box. My guests loved the movie touch!

Flerken Salad
1 pound baby octopus, cleaned, bodies cut into rings, tentacles left whole
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Salt, pepper
6 cups spring greens
1 large lemon, plus more for garnish 
Extra-virgin olive oil

1. Rinse octopus and pat dry. Toss greens with juice of one lemon and olive oil to taste. Mix well.
2. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large pan over high heat until almost smoking. Add octopus, butter, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes until octopus is cooked through. Do not over cook.
3. Toss octopus on top of salad greens. Grate lemon zest over salad. Serve immediately. 

Read more about my Captain Marvel dinner party here. Watch the video highlights:

Cheers,

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