Galician Octopus (Pulpo a Feira o Gallega)

This is a traditional recipe from the North of Spain, easy to find in every bar and restaurant there, as well in the rest of the Iberian Peninsula. Even there are fairs and competitions all through Galicia where Pulpo a Feira is the star dish.

Ingredients:

-1 Octopus.

-Water.

-Spanish Olive Oil.

-Sweet/Mild Paprika.

-Sea Salt.

The way to make Pulpo a Feira depends on if the octopus is fresh or frozen. If the octopus is fresh you should hit it against a hard surface to tenderize it. If the octopus is frozen it is not necessary to do this before because the freezing makes the octopus get soft naturally.

To boil the octopus we have to clean it first, empty the head out, remove the mouth and eyes and scrub the tentacles.

Pour water in a pot with no salt and boil it, when it gets to a rapid boil take the octopus by the head and dunk it in and out on the pot 3 times. We call this “asustar” or scare the octopus. After this process we let it boil approximately 30 minutes in the case of an average octopus.

30 mn. later take the octopus out and slice the tentacles when the octopus gets cool. Cut the head too.

In another pot boil chopped potatoes with a little bit of salt.

To present the octopus, in a wood plate place the potatoes with the octopus over them. Sprinkle the Spanish olive oil, the sweet paprika and the sea salt.