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Pulpo a la gallega - also known as pulpo a feira (fair-style octopus) - is Galicia's most celebrated dish and one of Spain's most recognized regional specialties, served at every Galician market fair and pilgrimage festival for centuries. Whole octopus is boiled until perfectly tender, sliced into rounds, and presented on a traditional wooden round plate (talla) over slices of boiled potato, anointed generously with the finest olive oil, sweet paprika (pimenton dulce), a hint of hot paprika, and coarse sea salt. The classic technique for achieving the right tender-yet-firm texture involves 'frightening' the octopus - plunging it three times in and out of the boiling water before fully submerging - which tightens the skin and prevents it from falling off during cooking. Frozen octopus works particularly well as freezing breaks down the tough muscle fibers.
Prep
15 min
Cook
60 min
Total
75 min
Servings
4 srv
Difficulty
Medium
Calories
200 kcal
For 4 serving(s)
Per serving
If using fresh octopus, freeze it for 24-48 hours first, then thaw. This tenderizes the meat far more effectively than beating.
Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a rolling boil. 'Frighten' the octopus by holding it by the head and dipping just the tentacles in and out of the boiling water three times, curling them before fully submerging.
Cook the octopus at a gentle boil for 45-60 minutes until a knife inserted at the thickest part of a tentacle meets no resistance. Turn off the heat and allow to rest in the water for 15 minutes.
In the same cooking water, boil the potatoes until tender. Drain and slice into rounds.
Lift the octopus out and slice the tentacles into 1-2cm rounds using kitchen scissors. Arrange the potato slices on the wooden plate and place the octopus rounds on top.
Drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil. Dust with sweet paprika and a pinch of hot paprika. Finish with a generous scattering of coarse sea salt. Serve immediately.
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