Octopus in meshwiya sauce with celery salad

This has been an unlikely star of our menu and a constant best-seller, so much so that we struggle to take it off the menu. I had never realised that Londoners have such an appetite for octopus. Cooking it requires no special equipment or skill, and minimal attention, so it’s nothing to be nervous about. The octopus cooks in its own briny juices which will make it really tender without losing any of the flavour, as happens when you steam or boil it. Frozen octopods are easy to find and are