As we were in Corsica this summer, 10-year-old read excessively about Napoleon Bonaparte…

10-year-old: Why did it take 5 hours to put a crown on your head?

Me: ???

10-year-old (reading some more): Ah! Maybe he spent the first couple of hours arguing with the Pope:

– Here you do it.
– No, you do it.

And finally, Napoleon said “Fine, I’ll do it”. He crowned himself. After 5 hours.

(History lesson went very well!)

Japanese octopus salad

(Cooked octopus recipe is from our dear friend, Andrei)
(Salad recipe is adapted from Just One Cook Book and Sudachi Recipes)

1 fresh cleaned octopus (about 2 lbs)
2 tsp salt
2 bay leaves
A few thyme branches (or 1/2 tsp dried thyme)
A bunch of peppercorns
8 garlic cloves (unpeeled, smashed)
Lemon peels
2 English cucumber (seeded and sliced)
1 tbs salt
100 g wakame seaweed
5 tbs rice vinegar
2 1/2 tbs sugar
1 tbs soy sauce
Salt to taste
Toasted sesame seeds (optional)
Nori sheet (optional)

To cook the octopus (thanks, Andrei!):

1. In a large stockpot, heat water + salt + bay leaves + thyme + pepper corns + unpeeled garlic + lemon peels.
2. When the water boils, dip the octopus 3 times to blanch it.
3. Lower the heat so the water can simmer.
4. Put the octopus back to the stockpot and cook for 50 minutes
   • Note: Readjust the cooking time to the size of the octopus.
5. Drain and set aside.

To prepare the salad:

1. In a large bowl, sprinkle 1 tbs salt to the cucumber slices. Set aside for 30 minutes.
2. Wash the cucumber to remove the salt and squeeze out the exceed liquid.
3. Cut the octopus into bite size.
4. In a small bowl, mix rice vinegar + sugar + soy sauce + salt.
5. In a large bowl, mix cucumber slices + octopus + seaweed.
6. Add the vinegar mixture and readjust if needed.
7. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
8. Before serving, sprinkle the salad with sesame seeds and shredded nori if using.