A Lima-born Nikkei appetizer where tender octopus meets a dark, creamy olive sauce. Lime gives it just enough brightness to keep every bite fresh and distinctly marine, while the olive delivers the deep flavor that made this dish a classic. Simple to assemble and very hard to leave on the table.
Pat the cooked octopus dry and slice it diagonally into pieces about 4 to 5 mm thick. Keep the slices even and thin enough for the sauce to cling to them, but not so thin that the octopus loses its firm, tender bite.
Blend the black olives, mayonnaise, lime juice, olive oil, pepper, and salt for 30 to 45 seconds, until the sauce is smooth, deep purple, and free of large pieces. It should fall from a spoon in a thick ribbon; over-blending can warm it up and dull its freshness.
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Arrange the octopus slices with a slight overlap and spoon the olive sauce over or beneath them, leaving some of the octopus visible. Serve immediately and cool, before the sauce loses its body. The right result is tender octopus, a silky sauce, and bold olive flavor that still lets the sea come through. And that's it!
