Pulpo a la gallega — octopus with potatoes and paprika

Place the frozen octopus in a dish that will catch the liquid, cover and thaw in the refrigerator for about 18–24 hours, until fully thawed. Discard the liquid. Measure out 1.2 kg drained, cleaned octopus for the recipe. It should already be without innards, beak or eyes; leave the edible skin and suckers intact. Rinse briefly, paying particular attention to the suckers, and drain. Wash your hands, utensils and work surface after handling the raw octopus.

In a large pot with a capacity of about 6–7 l, bring 3 l water to a boil without salt. Carefully lower in the whole octopus using long tongs, and add enough hot water to cover it if needed. Wait for the water to return to a boil, then reduce the heat. Cook at a gentle, steady simmer with the lid slightly ajar; vigorous bubbling is not necessary.

An octopus of the specified weight usually needs about 30–45 minutes of cooking after the water returns to a boil. First check for tenderness after about 25 minutes by piercing the thick part at the base of an arm with an ordinary wooden skewer or the tip of a knife. It should go in without much resistance, but the flesh should not fall apart. If it is still distinctly rubbery, continue cooking and check every few minutes; a thicker octopus may take a little longer. Once tender, turn off the heat, cover the pot and leave the octopus in the water for 15 minutes.

When the octopus is almost tender, cut the potatoes into slices about 1.5 cm thick. Cover them with 1.5 l fresh water in a separate pot and bring to a boil. Cook gently for about 12–18 minutes from boiling, until tender but still holding their shape. Drain all the water and let the potatoes steam dry for about a minute, then keep covered briefly. Season them with salt when serving. Do not use the octopus cooking water for the potatoes or as a sauce.

After resting, transfer the octopus to a large colander and leave for 2–3 minutes to drain thoroughly. Keep the cooking liquid out of the dish. With sharp kitchen scissors, cut off the arms and snip them into slices about 0.8–1 cm thick. Cut the cleaned mantle into smaller strips. Keep and serve all the flesh with its skin and suckers; work carefully, as it is still hot.

Divide all the warm potatoes between four plates. Sprinkle them with a total of 2 g salt and 2 g sweet paprika, then drizzle with 24 g olive oil, dividing the seasonings and oil evenly between the servings. Arrange all the sliced octopus on top. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 g salt and 2 g paprika, then divide the remaining 24 g olive oil between them. Do not fry the paprika: sprinkle it directly onto the warm ingredients.

Serve immediately while the octopus and potatoes are warm. All the measured olive oil and seasonings are included in the four servings. The thawing liquid, octopus cooking liquid and potato cooking water are not served. The dish does not include bread or other side dishes.