Pulpo a la Gallega

Method

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1. Thaw the octopus completely. Freezing first is essential — it does the tenderising that would otherwise take hours of pounding.

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2. Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a rolling boil with the onion and bay leaves.

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3. Hold the octopus by the head and dip the tentacles into the boiling water for 5 seconds, then lift out. Repeat twice more. The tentacles will curl tightly.

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4. On the fourth dip, lower the whole octopus in and reduce to a gentle simmer.

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5. Cook 40 to 55 minutes depending on size. Test by pushing a skewer into the thickest part of a tentacle — it should meet almost no resistance.

   Mark done Start 40 min timer

6. Turn the heat off and let the octopus sit in the water for 20 minutes.

   Mark done Start 20 min timer

7. Meanwhile boil the potatoes in some of the octopus water until tender, about 18 minutes, then slice into 1 cm rounds.

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8. Lift the octopus out and cut the tentacles into 1 cm coins with scissors.

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9. Lay the potato slices on a wooden plate, pile the octopus on top, drizzle heavily with olive oil, and dust with both pimentóns and coarse salt.

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Chef’s Tips

• Never salt the cooking water. Salt toughens octopus during the boil.
• The three dips genuinely matter for appearance — they set the skin so it stays on the tentacles.
• Serve warm rather than hot, on wood if you have it. The traditional plate absorbs excess oil.

Pairing Suggestions

• A cold Albariño
• Crusty bread
• Padrón peppers and a plate of jamón

Storage & Reheating

Cooked octopus keeps 2 days refrigerated in a little of its cooking liquid. Serve at room temperature or gently warmed.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.