Pulpo a la feria (fairground octopus)

4 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1 Octopus; weight about 750g/1
; 1/2lb
1 Onion; peeled, 4 bay
; leaves
½ teaspoon Paprika
Good pinch cayenne pepper
50 millilitres Good olive oil
½ teaspoon Sea salt flakes; up to 1, up to

Directions

1 You need to start preparing this dish well in advance. Seal the octopus in a plastic bag and leave it in the freezer for two weeks to help tenderize it.

2 Refridgerate the day before you want to cook it to allow it to thaw gently for 24 hours. The next day turn inside out and pull away the entrails and bone-like strips sticking to the sides.

3 Find the stomach sac, about the size and shape of an avocado stone, and cut away. Wash the octopus inside and out and turn right side out again.

Press the beak and surround from the centre of the tentacles, cut out and discard.

4 Simmer the octopus for at least an hour in plenty of water to which you've added the onion and bay leaves. Test after half an hour and cook for 30 minutes if it's still tough. Don't cook for any longer than that, as it loses its fresh taste with long cooking.

5 Lift the octopus out of the pan and drain away the excess water. Put on a board, cut off the tentacles and thinly slice each one on the diagonal.

6 Cut the body into similar-sized pieces, place onto four small pine boards or one large warmed serving plate and sprinkle with paprika and cayenne.

7 Heat the olive oil in a small pan until it is sizzling. Drizzle it over the octopus and finally sprinkle with sea salt. Serve with plenty of crusty fresh bread.

Converted by MC_Buster.

Recipe by: Rick Stein

Converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.

Related recipes