Simply Local, Simply Delicious: Galician-Style Baja Octopus & Potatoes with Smoked Paprika Oil
Photography by Adriana Sanchez for Edible San Diego
Ingredients
Serves 4
POACHED OCTOPUS & POTATO
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 onion, sliced in half
- 2 pounds local baby Octopus cleaned, head and beak removed
- 3 Yukon gold potatoes
PAPRIKA OIL
- ¼ cup robust Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- pinch salt
TO FINISH
- Flat leaf parsley and/or micro greens
Instructions
- First, cook the octopus and potato. In a 6-quart pot, bring water to a boil and then add bay leaves and onion halves
- Dunk the octopus in the boiling water three times to “scare it”, then leave to boil for 25 minutes.
- Keeping the water boiling, remove the octopus and set it aside. Then, add the potatoes and boil for 12 minutes, or until they are fork-tender. (The octopus water will infuse the potatoes with tons of flavor.)
- 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.
- 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.
Adriana Sanchez
Chef Adriana grew up in a family of foodies from Spain, who have been crafting Serrano and Iberico Ham for the last 50 years. By intuition, she learned that the Spanish attitude toward cooking a meal is connected with a sense of life-giving nurture; there is a bond between those who cook and those who eat. She went on to graduate top of her class from Culinary School and has appeared on the Food Network. She now teaches cooking classes specializing in cuisines from Spain, Latin America, and the Mediterranean, runs a catering company, and is a product creator of a cooking paste called Mojos. Cooking and teaching are her passions, and she hopes to share the importance of preserving the tradition of cooking as a family. Adriana currently lives in San Diego, California, and is a mom to three boys, who are her biggest inspiration and harshest food critics, who keep her inspired to create delicious dishes. Follow her work on Instagram at @chefa_adriana
