Palermo
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Palermo: Street Food and History Walking Tour
Set off on a guided walking tour of Palermo’s old town, admiring its landmarks and exploring its bustling markets. Stop to taste a selection of...
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History
Polpo bollito has been a Palermo street-market dish since at least the 18th century, when the city's fishmongers boiled the day's octopus haul in seawater right at the dock and sold it cold by the slice to passing labourers. The Vucciria, Capo and Ballaro markets all preserve the tradition; a copper pot simmers on a portable stove from sunrise to sunset, and the cook hand-slices warm tentacles with a long thin knife. The dish has zero garnish at the market level; restaurants add olive oil, lemon and parsley. Naples claims a similar tradition with cuoppo di polpo, but the Palermo version is the older market form.
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Common allergens: Shellfish
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 1 whole octopus, 1.5 to 2kg (cleaned and tenderised by your fishmonger; ask them to remove the beak)
- 1 cork from a wine bottle (Sicilian home-belief tenderiser, not strictly necessary)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 small onion, halved
- 10 black peppercorns
- 200ml dry white wine
- 1 tbsp sea salt
- To serve: 80ml extra-virgin olive oil; juice of 2 lemons; small bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; black pepper; flaky sea salt
Method
- Fill a large heavy pot with 4L water. Add bay leaves, onion halves, peppercorns, white wine and 1 tbsp salt. Drop in the cork (Sicilian tradition).
- Bring to a simmer.
- Hold the octopus by the head; dip the tentacles into the simmering water 3 times in quick succession. The tentacles curl tightly into the classic spiral; this is the Sicilian fishmonger trick.
- Lower the whole octopus into the pot. Reduce to the barest simmer.
- Cook 50 to 60 minutes; a skewer should slip through the thickest part with no resistance.
- Turn off the heat. Leave the octopus in the cooking water for 30 minutes; it continues to tenderise as it cools.
- Lift out. Cool to just-warm (the market-style is served warm, not chilled).
- Cut the tentacles away from the body. Slice each tentacle into 1cm coins on a wooden board with a long thin knife.
- Arrange the slices on a serving plate.
- Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, salt and pepper. Drizzle over the warm slices.
- Serve at room temperature with crusty bread.
Tip from the editors. The 30-minute rest in the cooking water is the Sicilian secret; the octopus tenderises as it cools in its own broth. Don't drain immediately.
Where to eat polpo bollito
Polpo bollito in Palermo
Mercato della Vucciria ★ 4.5
Mercato della Vucciria on Piazza Caracciolo in Palermo is the city's oldest market (1,000-plus years), quiet by day, raucous at night when sfincione.
TipBest at night for the street food and bar scene. Morning fish market starts 05:00; sfincione vendors at the Piazza San Domenico end.
Mercato del Capo ★ 4.5
Mercato del Capo runs along Via Sant'Agostino, Via Carini and Via Beati Paoli in Palermo's Seralcadio quarter, the city's prime fish and cheese market.
TipBest on Saturday morning. The fish stalls peak 08:00-11:00; Le Angeliche bistro hides in the market at Vicolo Abbadia.
Mercato di Ballaro ★ 4.7
Mercato di Ballaro in Palermo's Albergheria quarter has run since the 10th-century Arab era, extending from Piazza Ballaro along Via Albergheria to Corso.
TipBest on Saturday morning when all stalls open. The stigghiolari fire braziers from dusk for night-market street food.
Trattoria Piccolo Napoli ★ 4.5
Piccolo Napoli on Piazzetta Mulino a Vento in Palermo's Borgo Vecchio is a three-generation family seafood trattoria with a daily catch board dictated.
Why locals goA 70-year family seafood room on Piazzetta Mulino a Vento in Borgo Vecchio, lunch-only, dictated-from-memory chalkboard carte by Pino's grandson; tourists rarely find it.
TipLunch only most days. Book one day ahead.
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