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