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Octopus "a feira" is a traditional Galician dish featuring tender whole octopus on a bed of boiled potatoes, flavored with bay leaf and sprinkled with paprika.
Ingredients
Servings
4
Measurement units

Ingredients

  • 1 kgwhole octopus
  • 1 kgpotatoes
  • 1 fullabay leaf
  • 1 onion
  • a pinch of black pepper
  • a pinch of sweet paprika
Nutritional Information

Per serving

Calculated for 4 servings

Calories
423 kcal
Protein
43.1 g
Fat
2.9 g
Carbohydrates
55.1 g

Calculated from reviewed ingredient weights and pinned USDA FoodData Central records.

Step-by-step Guide

Preparation

  1. Bring sufficient water to a boil in a large pot (about 8 liters) until it reaches the boiling point.
  2. When the water is boiling, immerse the whole octopus for a few seconds and remove it immediately (this is the first blanching).
  3. Wait for the water to return to a full boil.
  4. Immerse the whole octopus again for a few seconds and remove it immediately (this is the second blanching).
  5. Wait again until the water returns to the boiling point.
  6. Submerge the whole octopus one last time for a few seconds and remove it immediately (this is the third blanching).
  7. Return the octopus to the pot, reduce the heat to low intensity, and let it cook for about 20 to 25 minutes, until it is tender when pierced with a knife.
  8. Remove the octopus from the pot and let it cool at room temperature.
  9. Slice the octopus tentacles into medium-thick slices.
  10. Boil the potatoes with their skin in a generous amount of salted water for 30 minutes. You can also boil the potatoes in the water where you previously boiled the octopus to take advantage of the flavor.
  11. Once the potatoes are cold, slice them into rounds.
  12. For presentation, place a base of potato slices on the plate.
  13. Arrange the slices of octopus over the potatoes.
  14. Sprinkle a bit of sweet paprika on top and add a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Recommendations & Tricks
  • If the octopus is fresh, freeze it 2 or 3 days; that is essential for tenderness. You can buy it already cleaned and frozen.
Original recipe
View or download the original PDF document.
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