Welcome to Paulina Cocina, my dear internet friends! How are you? Today I'm bringing you a recipe that you can't miss if you're a seafood lover. This Galician-style octopus recipe is one of the most traditional ways to cook octopus in Spain , and one of the quintessential recipes of Galician cuisine.
Today I'll show you a couple of tips for cooking delicious, tender Galician-style octopus! And of course, if you have any other tips, I'll read them in the comments! And if you try it, I'll let you know too.
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Tips for the best Galician-style octopus
If you keep these small details in mind, you'll make a big difference, I assure you. And they're very easy to do. Let me know later!
- The octopus's doneness : it should be "al dente." It should be tender but firm; if it's too soft, it means it's overcooked. Firm doesn't mean it's cooked to a crisp, eh? Don't worry, if you follow the octopus cooking instructions below, it'll turn out great.
- The plating temperature should be just right. The octopus should be neither hot nor cold. I don't make the rules; this is how Galician cuisine works, and we follow them because their dishes are the stuff of glory, so yes to everything they tell us! I assure you, these details make the difference in this Galician octopus recipe.
- The plate is made of wood . Traditionally, it's served on a wooden platter, which ensures it maintains the chosen temperature. Obviously, if you don't have one, that's fine; you can put it on whatever plate you have. But anyway, I'll tell you how it really is!
- Coarse salt . The preparation should be seasoned with coarse salt upon plating. It's wonderful to taste the different textures of the dish and the change in flavors! If you have medium-fine salt or grilling salt, it can still work very well. The only salt that doesn't work is sea salt. It doesn't taste good with that salt!
- The paprika can be sweet or spicy, depending on your preference. In this case, I added a bit of both, because I love them both. But it's optional.
- A good olive oil on top. Always. With everything, but even more so with Galician octopus.
How to cook octopus correctly
It works for any recipe with octopus!
Cooking Galician-style octopus is very easy, but it has its tricks! Here's a step-by-step guide to making your octopus recipes the best in the county:
- You know how they say you have to soften octopus, and they usually bang it against the counter for a long time? Well, if you freeze it, you'll get the same result. You buy it a couple of days in advance, freeze it, and that's it. Same effect!
Now, if you want to use octopus to release tension, that seems perfect to me. I'll give you the easiest option. - To defrost it, you have to put it in the refrigerator the day before. Place it in a large bowl; it loses a lot of water!
- Before cooking, to remove any impurities it may have, run it under cold water and wash it thoroughly.
- It's time to "scare" it: put a pot of plain, unsalted water on the stove. Once it comes to a boil, use tongs to pick up the octopus and put it in and take it out several times. I always do this three times. This helps keep the octopus's skin from falling off during cooking!
- To cook it, we leave it submerged, uncovered, and it takes approximately 17-20 minutes per kilo. The octopus we're using in our recipe takes approximately 35 minutes. But it depends on the size you get!
- To see if it's done, poke it to see the stitch. It might be difficult to find the right way around at first, but as you get the hang of it, it'll become super easy!
Well, friends, let's get to work! I hope you enjoy this delicious Galician-style octopus, also known as the best octopus recipe you'll ever find!
Ingredients
Serves 6
- 1 octopus of 2 kg
- 1 kg of potatoes or cachelos
- Thick salt
- Sweet paprika
- Spicy paprika
- Water
- Olive oil
Galician-style octopus recipe in 3 steps
- Cook the octopus as indicated earlier in this post. Cut the octopus with kitchen scissors: the legs and head into small pieces that are roughly the same size.
- Cut the potatoes or cachelos into medium-sized chunks and boil them with the octopus in water for 15 minutes, or until tender. The potatoes will take on a little color from the octopus; if you prefer, you can also cook them separately and serve everything together.
- Serve on a wooden plate, first layering potatoes or cachelos, then top with the octopus. Sprinkle with coarse salt and the sweet and spicy paprika mix, and drizzle with a little olive oil. You can also add a little of the cooking juices.
It's ready: enjoy this delicious dish!
After scaring the octopus, cook it with a medium-sized pan. When the pan is ready, I've been making the octopus for years, and it turns out spectacular. I learned to make everything else at octopus fairs in Galicia. Your recipes are great.
Just like my old man, a Galician, told me. The only thing I'd add is that he also added an onion to the octopus cooking water... And we boiled the potatoes separately. Thanks.