Galician Octopus: A Delicious Homemade Recipe

Octopus Galician (or Galician) is a dish of Spanish origin. In this article you will find a simple recipe for cooking it at home.

All fish and seafood dishes, such as Galician octopus, are especially delicious and irresistible. But remember that they also bring valuable nutrients to your diet.

Healthy, delicious and simple to prepare: it is Galician octopus . Today we teach you how to make this recipe avoiding the passage of the various short boiling of the octopus.

As with other dishes made with seafood, this Galician octopus recipe also requires a lot of care in preparation. But the nutritional contribution of this Spanish specialty is truly exceptional.

It is important to consider the nutrients of each dish you include in your diet. It is an indispensable contribution for the whole organism.

There is also another important aspect: by consuming fish and shellfish, you reduce the consumption of red meat.

In the case of this recipe, it is also essential to consider its origin and geographical provenance. The preparation of this dish, in fact, has caused some controversy.

The subject of the controversy refers to the need to start cooking octopus when it is still alive.

For what reason? It’s simple: to get the right consistency. For this reason, when you buy octopus at the fish shop you have to immerse it and remove it from the boiling water several times.

This method allows you to soften the octopus to obtain a perfect result, which you will surely notice when you try this dish.

But let’s go in order. Below we will show you how to prepare an excellent Galician octopus step by step. You will discover a delicious dish, accompanied by potatoes and dressed with olive oil: a pleasure for the palate.

At this point, you can begin to elaborate this excellent Spanish specialty, carefully following all the preparation phases.

If you are a seafood lover, this dish will leave you satisfied.

The original recipe for Galician-style octopus

A little history of the recipe

Before starting, we want to explain a very curious process that is used to cook octopus correctly.

In Galicia, the region from which this specialty comes, it is called asustar el pulpo (frighten the octopus). This refers to the fact that this invertebrate will have to be immersed 3 times in boiling water.

Using a preferably copper pot, the octopus is immersed in boiling water for a few seconds and then retired. The operation is repeated three times, with the aim of softening the texture of the meat.

This procedure relaxes the octopus’s nerves and also allows the skin to be preserved.

Famous in Spain but also internationally, Galician octopus is usually served as a tapa.

As you can see, this surprising Spanish recipe holds many surprises. Now all you have to do is get to work and enjoy the result.

Galician-style octopus recipe

Ingredients

• 1 whole octopus (about 2 kg)
• 5 large potatoes (about 1 kg)
• 4 tablespoons of olive oil (60 ml)
• 3 tablespoons of Maldon salt (45 g)
• 1 tablespoon of chilli (15 g)

Preparation

1. Amongst heat water in a large pot. The octopus must fit perfectly to be practical to handle.
   
2. When the water begins to boil it will be time to ” asustar” the octopus.
3. Immerse and remove the octopus from the boiling water three times, at intervals of about 5 seconds.
4. Then, boil the octopus in water for 40 minutes.
5. After cooking,  let it rest and cool for 5 minutes, without touching it.
6. At this point, drain the water completely.
7. Peel and cut the potatoes into quarters.
8. Cook them in a smaller pot adding a little salt.
9. Meanwhile, cut the octopus with kitchen scissors. To serve perfectly, the pieces of octopus should be about 3 centimeters.
10. Place the pieces of octopus on a wooden plate on which you have created a base with the potatoes.
11. And finally, the final touch: a sprinkle of chilli, a pinch of Maldon salt, a drop of olive oil and your dish is ready!