The history here is fascinating. If you walked into a salt-crusted deli in Boston’s North End or Federal Hill in Providence back in 1954, you’d find a large, thick-walled glass bowl sitting right at the center of the seafood counter. It was filled with this: a bright, briny, and deeply nostalgic New England seafood salad.

I first encountered the “perfect” version of this dish at a tiny roadside shop in Rhode Island. The owner had been using the same recipe for over sixty years, a beautiful example of how Mediterranean traditions were adapted into the American “marinated salad” craze of the mid-century. While modern restaurants often lean toward a minimalist crudo, this is American coastal history in a bowl—and arguably one of the best octopus salad variations you will find. It is heavy on the aromatics, the “pizza shop” earthiness of dried oregano, and that unmistakable deli-counter crunch.

The Secret to Tender Italian-American Octopus Salad

There is a lot of mystery surrounding octopus, but the secret diner cooks know for these vintage seafood recipes is remarkably simple: don’t rush it, and don’t boil it to death. We use a “simmer and steam” method. By keeping the water at a bare simmer—just a few lazy bubbles breaking the surface—you prevent the skin from gelatinizing and peeling off while the meat remains tough.

Perhaps the most important tip I can give you is to let the octopus cool entirely in its own cooking liquid. This allows the collagen to break down and the muscle fibers to relax. It’s the difference between a rubbery bite and something that melts like butter.

The “Deli Crunch” and Marinated Octopus and Celery

What distinguishes a traditional New England seafood salad from a Mediterranean octopus salad is the texture of the vegetables. We want a “double-crunch.” By slicing the celery on a sharp 45-degree bias, you create more surface area for that sharp white vinegar and garlic dressing to penetrate.

This isn’t a dish you make thirty minutes before dinner. You need the “magic window”—at least four hours, but ideally overnight. This process, known as maceration, allows the celery and bell peppers to take on a translucent, pickled quality while still retaining their structural snap. This combination of marinated octopus and celery is what gives the salad its iconic mouthfeel.

Authentic Retro Touches for New England Coastal Recipes

To keep this true to its roots and other New England coastal recipes, stick with white distilled vinegar. While champagne vinegar is fancy, it lacks the clean, aggressive bite that defined the mid-century American palate. This is the cornerstone of a traditional deli seafood salad.

And don’t you dare swap that dried oregano for fresh! The dried herb provides a specific, earthy depth that is the hallmark of vintage Italian-American cooking. Serve this in a chilled glass bowl with a side of sesame-crusted scali bread or even simple saltine crackers. It’s diner perfection, a bridge between the old world and the new—much like a Portuguese style octopus salad—and quite simply, American comfort at its finest.