Recipe - Pulpo A La Feria (Fairground Octopus)

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

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 bonelike 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 similarsized 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.

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Recipe by: Rick Stein

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