The Galician-Style Octopus in Pressure Cooker is a Spanish traditional recipe that satisfies all tastes: a warm dish in winter and a cold dish in summer. The result is always the same: delicious. Spaniards usually enjoy it as Tapas, that is, as an appetizer, combined with other tastings before a main course, or just as one of many snacks during a wine or beer-based aperitif. I prefer to consider it a true main course, simple and impressive, which everyone always likes. You can reduce the time if you use a pressure cooker and a well-cleaned octopus from your trusted fishmonger, as in this case. If you intend to buy a frozen one, no problem, but make sure it is of excellent quality. You’ll have to wait for it to thaw, and always do it in the refrigerator, but the result will still be perfect.
To make it more fragrant, I added a personal touch by chopping a clove of Preserved Confit Lemons that I never do without.
For those not very familiar with the pressure cooker and wanting to try it safely, I leave the link to my article below, along with that of other octopus-based recipes
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: Spanish
- Seasonality: All Seasons
Ingredients
- 2.6 lbs octopus
- 6 potatoes
- 2 onions
- to taste salt and pepper
- 4 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- to taste hot paprika
- 1 bunch parsley
Tools
- 1 Pressure Cooker
Preparation
Place the Octopus inside a pressure cooker, if already cleaned by our fishmonger, or after having removed the beak, insides, and washed it.
Add the onion and enough water to cover it well.
Adjust with salt and close tightly with the lid.
Lower the valve and cook on high flame until a loud whistle.
At this point, lower to minimum and cook for about 20 minutes.
Before opening, let the pot cool, as you will need the octopus cold.
If you decide to cook it using the traditional method, it will take 50 to 60 minutes.
In the meantime, if we have more than one pressure cooker, we can get ahead with the potatoes.
Place them inside, cover with water, close with the lid, and make sure the valve is closed.
Use the same procedure as the Octopus, but calculate only 10 minutes of cooking. If the potatoes are small, 6/7 minutes will be enough.
In this case, so that the potatoes do not continue to cook, from the moment we turn off, wait 5 minutes and then release steam by opening the valve.
But do it slowly, so that the steam contained therein comes out gradually.
Once the potatoes are cold, cut them into slices or half-moons, but they should be at least 0.4 inches thick.
Place them in a bowl and season with extra virgin olive oil, salt, chopped parsley, and mix well.
Prepare the octopus in the same way as the potatoes.
Now that all the ingredients are ready, we can assemble the dish. Arrange the potatoes on a serving plate to form a bed, and pour the octopus over them.
Sprinkle with sweet paprika and chopped parsley.
A drizzle of oil, and if you like, pieces of fresh lemon peel or, as in this case, pieces of Preserved Confit Lemon.
Serve our Galician-Style Octopus in Pressure Cooker, hot or at room temperature if it is winter, or cold, maybe even from the refrigerator if it is summer.
Tips and Storage
The Octopus cooked this way can be perfectly stored for one or two days in the refrigerator, but place it in an airtight container.
As always, I recommend using glass or ceramic, because plastic is harmful.
As always, I recommend using glass or ceramic, because plastic is harmful.
As always, I recommend using glass or ceramic, because plastic is harmful.
