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.

Cuttlefish Marmitako

This recipe is a variation of the original Marmitako made with tuna, delicious and perfect for these coming chilly days.

Ingredients for 2 people:

-2 Pounds of Baby Cuttlefish.

-½ Onion.

-1 Garlic Clove.

-1 Small Tomato.

-1 Green Bell Pepper.

-1 Ñora (Dried Red Sweet Pepper)

-1 Pimiento Choricero (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsicum_annuum)

-2 Large Potatoes.

-1 Zucchini.

-1 Cup of White Wine.

-Olive Oil.

-Salt

-Water.

Clean the cuttlefish and place aside. Hydrate the ñora and pimiento choricero by putting them in a bowl with warm water, scrape the pulp from the peppers and discard the skin.(some Spanish stores sell the pulp of these peppers in a jar, so you can save all this process).

Peel and slice the garlic clove, chop the onion and the green bell pepper, poach everything in a deep pot with a little bit of olive oil. When it gets soft add the peeled tomato and the pulp of the peppers, stir it up and incorporate the cuttlefish, mix everything.

Peel and cut the potatoes, place them in the pot and pour the white wine, turn up the heat to evaporate the alcohol. Meanwhile clean and cut the zucchini. When the alcohol is gone, add the zucchini, mix all the ingredients and pour water to cover all the ingredients. Cook till the sauce thickens.

Patatas a lo Pobre like my Grandma´s

Putting title to this recipe was a little bit messy. Patatas a lo Pobre (....) is what my Grandma called this recipe, so that is how it is gonna stay. Truly it is a mix among Garlic Soup, Patatas a lo pobre and Stewed Potatoes. What is sure is this recipe is the most recommended to keep you warm this winter.

Ingredients for 2 people:

-4 Medium Potatoes.

-4 Garlic Cloves.

-1 Egg for every Diner.

-Saffron Threads.

-Water or Vegetable Broth (in this last case add Knorr cube).

-Parsley.

-Spanish Olive Oil.

-Salt.

Peel the potatoes and cut them in half inch. Fry them in a pan with olive oil. Remove the excess oil putting the slices on a paper towel. After a moment letting the potatoes drain, place them in a pot and cover them with the vegetable broth and let it simmer. Meanwhile mash in a mortar the chopped garlic cloves, a bunch of parsley, saffron and salt and pour the mix into the stew. Let the stew take the taste of the garlic for a while. When the potatoes are soft the stew is done (Poke them with a fork).

Before you serve, break an egg for every dinner  guest and pour them into the stew. Stir them up with a fork to get egg threads and  READY TO SERVE!!

                                                     

Porrusalda (Leek Stew)

The recipe proposed this week is a light dish, which has the vitamins and minerals needed to detox our organism from the excess. This veggie soup provide us many benefits for our health.  The base of the dish is leek, puerro in Spanish, this is where it gets its name.

Ingredients for 4 people:

-5 Leeks.

-3 Medium Potatoes.

-1 Medium Onion.

-2 Carrots.

-Bones of 2 Whole Chickens. (To make the broth)*

-Water.

-Olive Oil.

-Salt.

Make the chicken broth in a pressure cooker with plenty of water. Peel and cut the onion finely and poach it in a pot with a stream of olive oil on low heat. When the onion is soft pour the broth, previously having removed the fat, and add the cleaned and chopped leeks, keep adding the peeled and cut carrots and potatoes. Salt and let it simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are done.

Serve this dish as a soup or if you blend it, as a cream. we can make this dish more filling by including cod or ribs.

*These bones are easy to find in Asian stores or specialized butcher shops.

BE HEALTHY!!

                                                   

Marmitako (Bonito/Tuna Stew with Potatoes)

Today's recipe comes from the North of Spain and it is a tuna or bonito with potatoes and veggies stew. It is named after the container where is cooked, marmite, and in its beginnings it was a fisherman's dish, cooked typically in the ships.

Ingredients for 4 People:

-1Kg. (2 Lb.) of Tuna/Bonito.

-1 Kg. (2 Lb.) of Potatoes.

-1 Medium  Onion.

- 1 Big Green Bell Pepper.

-2 Garlic Cloves.

-1 Tablespoon of Pimiento Choricero pulp (a kind of sun dried Spanish pepper).

-2 Ripe Tomatoes.

-1 Cayenne Pepper.

-Spanish Olive Oil.

-Salt.

-1 liter (about 4 cups) of Fish Broth. (You can do it with the tuna head and skin).

Chop the onion, green bell pepper and garlic and poach them in a pot with 2 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt, put the lid on.  When they are done peel the potatoes and partially cut and then break them at the end into uneven bite sized pieces (this way the starch is liberated and the broth becomes thicker), add to the stew and fry lightly.

Add the Pimiento Choricero pulp and the cayenne pepper and mix all together. Pour the fish broth and cook until the potatoes are boiled. Turn off the heat and add the diced tuna, it will be cook with the heat of the stew. Salt to your liking and done. SO EASY!!!