Galician octopus, cooked in copper cauldrons, served on wooden boards with paprika, rock salt, and olive oil – traditionally prepared by octopus sellers at festivals.
Ingredients
- 1 large octopus (2-3 kg)
- 500g potatoes
- coarse sea salt
- sweet paprika (Pimentón de la Vera)
- extra virgin olive oil
- bay leaves.
Instructions
Tenderizing: Clean the octopus, and remove the beak and eyes. Some traditions involve beating it or freezing it first to tenderize.
The Scare: Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a boil. Dip the octopus three times, lifting it out between dunks (this curls the tentacles).
Boiling: Fully immerse it. Add bay leaves. Depending on size, simmer for 25-40 minutes. Test with a skewer — it should enter easily, but not fall apart.
Potatoes: In the last 20 minutes, add potatoes (unpeeled) to the same water.
Plating: Slice the tentacles into 1cm rounds. Slice the potatoes similarly. Place them on a wooden board, alternating.
Dressing: Sprinkle heavily with coarse salt and paprika. Drizzle with olive oil. Serve with bread and white wine.