Pulpo a la Gallega

Pulpo a la Gallega comes from Galicia in Spain's north-west, traditionally served on a wooden plate (a pulpeira) at room temperature, never piping hot.

It looks like a dish that demands a restaurant kitchen and is, in reality, mostly about patience — the octopus does almost all the work itself.

Ingredients

• 1kg octopus, cleaned (ask your fishmonger to clean it)
• 1 onion, halved
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 medium potatoes
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp smoked paprika (pimentón)
• Sea salt flakes, to taste

Method

1. Bring a large pot of water to the boil with the onion and bay leaf. Dip the octopus in and out of the boiling water three times (this helps tenderise it), then submerge fully and simmer gently for 45–60 minutes, until a knife slides through the thickest part easily.
2. Meanwhile, boil the potatoes whole in salted water until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and slice into rounds once cool enough to handle.
3. Remove the octopus from the water and let it rest for 10 minutes, then slice the tentacles into thick rounds.
4. Arrange the sliced potatoes on a wooden board or plate, top with the octopus slices.
5. Drizzle generously with olive oil, dust heavily with smoked paprika, and finish with sea salt flakes.
6. Serve at room temperature — pulpo a la gallega is traditionally served this way, not piping hot, so the paprika and oil coat everything evenly.