Octopus prepared Spanish style

Octopus is a favourite seafood dish all over Spain – especially in Galicia, which is highly praised for it’s quality and variety of seafood.

Humans eat octopus in many cultures. The arms and sometimes other body parts are prepared in various ways, often varying by species.
Octopus is a common ingredient in Japanese cuisine, including sushi, takoyaki, and Akashiyaki.

In Korea, some small species are sometimes eaten alive as a novelty food. A live octopus is usually sliced up, and it is eaten while still squirming.
Octopus is eaten regularly in Hawaii, since many popular dishes are Asian in origin. Locally known by their Hawaiian or Japanese names (“he’e” and “tako” respectively), octopus is also a popular fish bait.

Octopus is a common food in Mediterranean cuisine and Portuguese cuisine. In Galicia, polbo á feira (market fair style octopus) is a local delicacy. Restaurants which specialize or serve this dish are known as pulperías. On the Tunisian island of Djerba, local people catch octopuses by taking advantage of the animals’ habit of hiding in safe places during the night. In the evening they put grey ceramic pots on the sea bed. The morning of the following day they check them for octopuses that sheltered there. A common scene in the Greek islands is octopuses hanging in the sunlight from a rope, just like laundry from a clothesline. They are often caught by spear fishing close to the shore. The fisherman brings his prey to land and tenderizes the flesh by pounding the carcass against a stone surface. Thus treated they are hung out to dry, and later will be served grilled either hot, or chilled in a salad. They are considered a superb meze, especially alongside ouzo.

PULPO A FEIRA – GALICIA STYLE OCTOPUS

Ingredients

• 1 octopus
• 1 bay leaf
• Paprlka/cayenne pepper
• Olive oil
• Salt

Preparation

Scrub the octopus well in cold water to clean it. Using a pestle, beat the suckers to free any sand. Scrub again until completely clean. Once dried, the octopus should be placed in the freezer for two to three days to tenderise the meat. After this time, remove from the freezer and defrost.

Cook the octopus in boiling water with a bay leaf until tender (check with a fork). The cooking time will depend on the size of the octopus. Once tender, remove from the pan and leave to cool.

Chop the octopus into slices with scissors and season with salt and paprika or cayenne pepper (to taste), and drizzle with olive oil. Boiled potatoes make an ideal accompaniment. Serve on a wooden board, if possible.

PULPO A LA CAZUELA – OCTOPUS CASSEROLE

Ingredients

• 1 large octopus
• 1 pepper
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 400 g (13 oz) potatoes
• Parsley
• Bay leaf
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Preparation

Wash the octopus well by scrubbing it in cold water, making sure there is no sand (particularly in the suckers). Place in the freezer for two or three days to tenderise the meat. Defrost the octopus and cook in boiling water with a bay leaf until tender (a fork should pierce the flesh easily). Remove from the pan and put to one side to cool.

Finely chop the onion and pepper and fry in an earthenware casserole with hot olive oil until tender. Chop the tomatoes and crush the garlic in a mortar with a few sprigs of parsley, and add to the casserole. Season with salt and pepper. Chop the octopus, add to the mixture and leave to cook for ten minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, peel and wash the potatoes, dice and fry in hot olive oil. Add to the octopus at the last moment, as otherwise they could thicken the sauce. Serve in the same earthenware dish.

PULPO A LA VINAGRETA – OCTOPUS IN VINAIGRETTE DRESSING

Ingredients

• 1 octopus
• 1 bay leaf
•1 onion
• Parsley
• 2 hardboiled eggs
•1 tin red bell peppers (pimiento morrón)
• Vinegar
• Olive 0il
• Salt

Preparation

Wash the octopus carefully by scrubbing it in plenty of cold water, making sure that the suckers are free of sand. Place the octopus in the freezer for two or three days to tenderise the meat. Defrost the octopus and place in a pan with boiling water and a bay leaf.

Cook until tender (check by pricking with a fork). Cooking time will depend on the size of the octopus. Remove from the water and leave to cool.

Prepare the dressing as follows: in a bowl mix twelve tablespoonful’s of olive oil, four of vinegar and a pinch of salt. Beat well to produce a creamy mixture. Finely chop a small onion, a few sprigs of parsley, the pepper and the hardboiled eggs, and mix in to the dressing. Check for salt and vinegar to
taste. Serve the octopus in slices, with the dressing poured over the top.

Fish & Seafood with Bill & Sheila
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