Pulpo a la Gallega — Galician Octopus with Pimentón

Ingredients

• 2½ lb octopus, cleaned
• 1 lb waxy potatoes, peeled
• 1 onion, halved
• 2 bay leaves
• 5 tbsp good olive oil
• 2 tsp sweet pimentón
• ½ tsp hot pimentón
• 1 tsp flaky salt
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley

Method

1. Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a rolling boil with the onion and bay. Holding the octopus by the head, dip it in and lift it out three times — the tentacles curl and the skin stays put.
2. Lower it in and simmer gently, never boiling hard, for 45–55 minutes. It is ready when a skewer slides into the thickest part of a tentacle with no resistance. Salt now, not before, and let it cool 10 minutes in the liquid.
3. Boil the potatoes in the same water until tender, 15 minutes, then slice into ½-inch coins and lay them across a warm wooden plate.
4. Snip the tentacles into ½-inch rounds with scissors and pile them over the potatoes while everything is still hot.
5. Douse with olive oil, dust heavily with both paprikas, scatter flaky salt and parsley, and serve with toothpicks and cold white wine.