The dish to eat in A Coruña · Spain

Pulpo á feira

Name: Pulpo á feira (Galician octopus)
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Spain
Ingredients: 1 whole octopus, about 3 to 4 lb (1.4 to 1.8 kg), cleaned, frozen at least 48 hours and thawed in the fridge; 1 onion, halved; 2 bay leaves; 1 1/2 lb (680 g) small waxy potatoes (cachelos), scrubbed; Best Galician or Spanish extra-virgin olive oil; Coarse sea salt; Sweet and hot pimentón (Spanish paprika), mixed to taste

Photo: Freecat (José Antonio Gil Martínez), CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons · source

Tender boiled octopus cut with scissors onto a wooden plate, with olive oil, coarse salt, paprika and boiled potatoes.

Galicia's fair-day octopus, cooked by pulpeiras in copper pots and snipped onto wooden boards. In A Coruña, it's the pulpería meal everyone shares.

Where to eat it Cook it at home

Where to eat it: the best three in A Coruña

A Pulpeira de Melide
Praza do Campo da Leña
Order: Pulpo á feira and a bowl of Ribeiro wine
A famous old-town pulpería in the Melide tradition, Galicia's octopus capital.
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O Rueiro
Old town
Order: Pulpo á feira with cachelos (boiled potatoes)
A pulpería locals recommend for perfectly tender octopus.
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Taberna da Penela
Praza da María Pita
Order: Pulpo and the Betanzos-style tortilla
A classic tavern on the city's main square for Galician favorites.
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All three are on Chef Amazing’s list The best pulpo á feira in A Coruña, which you can save and take with you.

Cook it at home: Pulpo á feira (Galician octopus)

Serves 4Time 1 hr 30 min

Freezing breaks down the octopus fibers so it cooks tender. Dip it three times in boiling water (asustar, to scare it) so the skin stays on and the tentacles curl, then simmer until a skewer slides in.

Pans and tools

Very large pot
Long tongs
Kitchen scissors
Wooden board or plate

You’ll need

1 whole octopus, about 3 to 4 lb (1.4 to 1.8 kg), cleaned, frozen at least 48 hours and thawed in the fridge
1 onion, halved
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 lb (680 g) small waxy potatoes (cachelos), scrubbed
Best Galician or Spanish extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse sea salt
Sweet and hot pimentón (Spanish paprika), mixed to taste

Steps

Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a full boil with the onion and bay leaves.
Hold the octopus by the head and dip the tentacles into the water for 3 seconds, lift out, then repeat twice more. The tentacles will curl. Then lower it in completely.
When it returns to a boil, lower to a steady simmer. Cook 40 to 60 minutes (about 15 minutes per pound), until a skewer slides easily into the thickest part of a tentacle.
Turn off the heat and let it rest in the water 15 to 20 minutes, which makes it more tender.
Lift it out and cook the potatoes in the octopus water 15 to 20 minutes until tender. Drain and slice thickly.
Cut the tentacles into 1/2-inch (1 cm) rounds with scissors, the way the pulpeiras do, onto a wooden plate over the potatoes.
Season generously with coarse salt, sprinkle with pimentón and pour plenty of olive oil over the top. Serve warm with toothpicks and crusty bread.

Chef’s tips

Fishmongers often sell octopus already frozen and cleaned, which saves a step.

Don't add salt to the cooking water; it toughens the skin.

Season at the last minute; warm octopus drinks in the oil.

Contains: Shellfish (mollusc).

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