Pulpo Recipe

Clean the octopus if not already cleaned: remove beak and eyes, rinse thoroughly under cold water.

Fill a very large stockpot with 6 liters of water. Add 2 tbsp coarse sea salt, 3 bay leaves, 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns, the quartered onion and halved lemon. Bring to a gentle rolling boil over high heat.

To tenderize and avoid the tentacles curling too much, take the octopus by the head and dip the tips of the tentacles into the boiling water three times (briefly submerge and lift) then fully immerse the octopus into the pot. Alternatively, simply immerse the whole octopus once if dipping is impractical for large pieces.

Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer (not a furious boil). Partially cover the pot and simmer until octopus is tender when tested with a skewer or knife: for 4 kg total (several medium octopuses) simmer 40–55 minutes depending on thickness. Check after 35–40 minutes — skewer should meet little resistance into the thickest part of a tentacle.

Once tender, remove the octopus from the poaching liquid and transfer to a large tray. Let rest 15 minutes to cool slightly; reserve poaching liquid for reheating if necessary.

Prepare dressing

In a bowl whisk together 200 ml extra-virgin olive oil, 120 ml fresh lemon juice, 2 tbsp red wine vinegar, 2 tsp smoked paprika, 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 cup chopped parsley, 2 tsp coarse sea salt and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust acidity or salt. Set aside.

Cut the cooled octopus: separate heads from tentacles if whole. Slice tentacles into 2–3 cm thick medallions on a diagonal. If large heads are used, quarter them for service.

Heat a large cast-iron griddle or grill pan over high heat until smoking hot. Brush octopus pieces lightly with 50 ml olive oil and place on the hot surface in a single layer without crowding.

Char the octopus 1.5–2 minutes per side until well marked and a bit crisp at the edges (internal temperature should remain tender). For a catering run, you can char on a plancha or large gas grill in batches; keep finished pieces loosely covered to retain heat.

Transfer charred octopus to a large bowl or tray and immediately drizzle 1/2 to 3/4 of the prepared dressing over the warm pieces to allow them to absorb flavor. Reserve remaining dressing for service.

Warm the roasted fingerling potatoes if prepared in advance (350°C/175°C oven or 180°C fan oven for 10–12 minutes) and arrange on the serving platter.

Arrange a bed of microgreens or baby arugula on large catering platters. Place dressed octopus pieces artistically on the greens and intersperse halved roasted fingerling potatoes.

Drizzle remaining dressing lightly over the arranged platter, garnish with lemon wedges around the perimeter, and sprinkle a small additional pinch of smoked paprika for color if desired.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Provide extra dressing and lemon wedges on the side.