Lemon-Marinated Octopus and Celery; The Perfect Dish During Rainy Season

ByYukako Oishi / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

12:30 JST, July 13, 2025

Cultivated widely along the Mediterranean coast, lemons are a familiar fruit on Italian tables. Lemon-marinated octopus and celery, introduced by Italian cuisine chef Yoshinaga Jinbo, is a refreshing cold dish with a tart flavor.

To prepare the dish, seafood and vegetables are immersed in a marinade and oil. The key to a tasty marinade is capturing the essence of the ingredients and blending them together harmoniously. Lemon, octopus and celery are a popular combination in Italy, according to Jinbo.

Although it is a lemon-based marinade, Jinbo suggests to “make aglio, olio e pepperoncino, which is considered the foundation of Italian cuisine, first.”

I thought this Italian name was related to pasta, but aglio, olio and pepperoncino actually mean garlic, olive oil and chili pepper, respectively. So, it’s “not pasta, but the name of a sauce,” Jinbo said.

The sauce forms a key part of the finished marinade.

“Celery is a fragrant vegetable. The acidity of the lemon alone would not stand out against the strong scent of the celery. So, I add this seasoned oil to harmonize the overall flavor.”

The celery is lightly boiled to reduce its sharp flavor and bring out its sweetness. It is then quickly rinsed in ice water to preserve its vivid green color.

“Don’t soak it too long or the celery will become bland,” he said.

The celery stalks and octopus are cut diagonally to increase the surface area exposed to the marinade.

Jinbo used a grater to zest a lemon and sliced the fruit before mixing the zest with the marinade until creamy. He then added the fruit and other ingredients into the marinade.

The dish looks cool and refreshing. The subtle garlic flavor, lemon aroma and mild acidity are harmonized in the final dish. The chewy octopus and celery give the dish a rich flavor.

Lemon-marinated octopus and celery

Ingredients (serves 2):

• 150 grams boiled octopus
• 150 grams celery
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 red chili pepper
• 50 grams pitted olives
• 1/2 lemon
• Italian parsley (to taste)
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar



Directions:

1. To make aglio, olio e pepperoncino, thinly slice garlic and place in a small saucepan with red chili pepper and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cook over low heat until the garlic begins to brown, then remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool.

2. Separate the celery into stems and leaves. Remove any strings from the stems as needed and slice diagonally into 7-millimeter-wide pieces. Tear the leaves into rough pieces. Bring a large pot of water with a pinch of salt to a boil, add the celery stems and boil for about 30 seconds, then add the leaves and boil briefly. Rinse them in ice water and drain well.

3. Slice the boiled octopus diagonally into 7-milimeter-wide pieces. Cut olives in half.

4. Zest a lemon. Cut the lemon flesh into 2- to 3-millimeter-thick wedges.

5. In a bowl, mix the zest, aglio, olio e pepperoncino, white wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Place the bowl in a larger bowl filled with ice water and whisk well to chill the mixture.

6. Add the boiled octopus, lemon flesh, celery stems, olives and celery leaves to the marinade in that order, tossing gently each time. Chill in a refrigerator for about one hour.

7. Serve on a plate, sprinkle with chopped Italian parsley and drizzle with olive oil to taste.

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  The Yomiuri Shimbun
  Strings are removed from celery stems.

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  The Yomiuri Shimbun
  A grater is used to zest a lemon.

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  The Yomiuri Shimbun
  The marinade is whisked well in a cold bowl that is placed in a larger bowl filled with ice water.

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