Octopus Salad - {Ensalada De Pulpo}

In a large stockpot, combine octopus with bay leaves, halved lemons, peppercorns, white wine, hot pepper sauce. Cook until the octopus is very tender, about 2 hours. Strain, cool, and peel the octopus.

Clean squid and open tubes flat. In a bowl, season squid and octopus. Grill quickly for 2 minutes on each side. Cool and slice thinly.

In a large bowl, combine squid, octopus, tomatoes, onions, scallions, garbanzo beans, and olives. In a separate bowl, prepare a vinaigrette with 1/4 cup of the oil, vinegar, basil, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Pour on top of the seafood salad and toss well to combine. Set aside.

In a saute pan, heat up the remaining 1/4 cup oil with annatto seeds. Remove seeds and add the sliced garlic. Cook until cloves are golden brown. Add the hearts of palm. Continue to cook until the hearts of palm are brown. Add the lemon juice, and season. Serve the salad over the roasted hearts of palm.

This recipe yields 4 servings.