Inspired by an incredibly simple dish from Galicia in northern Spain, this recipe stars locally-caught baby octopus accented with smoked paprika-infused olive oil. Be sure to use a robust-flavored oil and local Baja octopus, which is in season from August to December.
Ingredients
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 onion, sliced in half
- 2 pounds local baby Octopus cleaned, head and beak removed
- 3 Yukon gold potatoes
- ¼ cup robust Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- pinch salt
- flat leaf parsley and/or micro greens
Instructions
Cook the Octopus & Potato
In a 6-quart pot, bring water to boil water and then add bay leaves and onion halves.
Dunk octopus in the boiling water three times to “scare it”, then leave to boil for 25 minutes.
Keeping the water boiling, remove octopus and set aside, then add potatoes and boil for 12 minutes or until fork tender. (The octopus water will infuse the potatoes with tons of flavor.)
Make the Paprika Oil
Meanwhile, prepare the paprika-infused oil: Warm a small sauté pan over medium low heat, then add ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil and garlic and cook until fragrant, about one minute.
Add ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika and a pinch of salt, mix well, and turn off the heat. Set aside.
Bring it All Together
Slice the potatoes and use them to create a base on each plate, top with a few baby octopi and drizzle with smoked paprika olive oil.
Sprinkle with a bit more paprika and salt to taste and finish with micro-greens and parsley.
