Traditional Spanish Dishes
Learn to prepare Galician-style Octopus: traditional Spanish recipe
A classic Galician dish with a marine flavor: tender octopus, boiled potatoes in their own broth and a seasoning of smoked paprika and extra virgin olive oil. Ideal for serving in the center and sharing.
Galician-style octopus, also known as pulpo á feira, stands out for its simple preparation in which the tenderness of the octopus, the cooking point of the potatoes, and the final seasoning are especially important.
01
Ingredients
Have everything ready before you begin.
- ✓1 cleaned octopus of approximately 1.5 kg
- ✓1 kg of potatoes
- ✓2 bay leaves
- ✓Coarse salt for cooking
- ✓1 teaspoon of fine salt
- ✓2 teaspoons of sweet smoked paprika
- ✓1/2 teaspoon of spicy smoked paprika
- ✓60 ml of extra virgin olive oil
02
Step-by-step method
- 01
Thaw and clean
If the octopus is frozen, thaw it slowly overnight in the refrigerator. Rinse it with cold water and remove any remains from the inside of the head.
- 02
Prepare the broth
Put a large pot on the fire with plenty of water, bay leaves, and coarse salt.
- 03
Scare the octopus
When the water boils strongly, hold the octopus by the head and submerge it three times, taking it out for a few seconds between each immersion.
- 04
Cook the octopus
After the third immersion, leave it in the pot and cook it over medium heat, maintaining a gentle boil, between 35 and 50 minutes. From 35 minutes on, check the thickest part of a tentacle with a skewer or a thin knife; it should offer a slight resistance without being tough.
- 05
Cut the potatoes
While the octopus is cooking, peel the potatoes and cut them into slices of approximately 1.5 cm thick.
- 06
Cook the potatoes
Remove the octopus and reserve the cooking water. Remove the bay leaves and cook the potatoes in the same pot for 15 or 20 minutes, until they are tender but firm. If there is not enough liquid, add a little hot water.
- 07
Drain the potatoes
Drain the potatoes carefully and let them rest for a couple of minutes to remove excess moisture.
- 08
Cut and arrange
Cut the tentacles into slices of approximately 1 cm and also use the head, in strips or small pieces. Place the potatoes first in a large dish or board and distribute the octopus on top.
- 09
Mix the seasoning
Mix in a small container the extra virgin olive oil with the sweet smoked paprika and the spicy smoked paprika. Do it away from the heat so that the smoked paprika does not burn.
- 10
Season and salt
Drizzle the potatoes and octopus with the seasoned oil. Add the fine salt evenly and adjust with moderation after tasting a potato.
- 11
Serve immediately
Serve the octopus hot, with the potatoes still warm and the perfumed oil spread over the surface. Do not add lemon, onion, garlic, or other sauces if you want to keep this traditional version.
- Thaw the octopus slowly in the refrigerator to favor a tender texture.
- Check the cooking by piercing the thickest part of a tentacle; the time depends on the size and texture of the piece.
- Cooking the potatoes in the octopus broth gives a deeper and more marine flavor.
- Avoid stirring the potatoes constantly so they don't break.
- Add the smoked paprika to the oil away from the heat, as it can burn and become bitter.
- If you prefer a mild seasoning, replace the half teaspoon of spicy smoked paprika with an additional half teaspoon of sweet smoked paprika.