Pulpo a la gallega

Pulpo a la gallega (Galician style octopus)

Pulpo a la Gallega is the most popular dish from Galicia in the North West of Spain. Galicia is an incredible region, one of favourite places to eat seafood and meat in the world, where green hills roll into the Atlantic ocean.

This dish is usually served as a tapa in Spain or a sharing "racion" serve all around Spain but it is also served as a main dish on occasion. The octopus is so rich and tender when it’s cooked well.

If you haven't cooked octopus before this is a great introduction. The recipe is simple and the result is based in tradition so the result can't be wrong.

Ingredients:

• 700 gr of octopus legs (frozen)

• 4 large potatoes

• 1/4 cup olive oil (Spanish extra virgin, to drizzle)

• Salt (to taste)

• 1 dash paprika (sweet Spanish)

Method:

1. If you buy the octopus fresh place it in the freezer before cook it. Make sure tha you buy it clean and a medium to large size of octopus.

2. Boil a large pot of water over high heat. Place the frozen octopus when the water is boiling.

3. "Scare" the octopus 2 times, this means place it in the boiling water for 5 seconds an take it out, this helps to shock the proteints in the octopus which is just another insurence that is nice and tender at the end.

4. Cook until tender—about 1 hour for 700gr-1kg of octopus. To test its tenderness, insert a knife where the legs. If it goes in easily, it's ready to eat. To check if it's ready insert a knife, if goes through easy it will be ready to eat.

5. Place the cooked octopus in the fridge until potatoes are cooked.

6. In the water where we cooked the octopus add the potatoes with the skin, make sure that you clean the dirt of the potatoes well before cooking. This should take around 30min, insert a knife again to check that they are soft enough.

7. Take the octopus out of the fridge and cut in about 2cm chunks.

8. Drain the potatoes and rinse under cold running water. Allow the potatoes to cool, then peel. Slice into rounds approximately 1cm thick.

7. Arrange the potato slices on a serving platter. Place the octopus on top. Drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and sweet paprika over top and serve.

Notes:

If you are doing coals barbacue you can finish the legs after boil in the coals and it would have an amazing flavour.

We like to warm up the plated dish in the oven to make the EVO paprika and salt melt into the potatoes and octopus.

Coastal Cocina

Byron & Maria