''Polbo á feira'' (literally meaning "
fair-style
octopus", ''pulpo a la gallega'' in Spanish, meaning Galician-style octopus), alternatively known as ''pulpo estilo feira'', is a traditional
Galician dish.
This dish is prepared by first boiling the octopus inside a copper
cauldron
A cauldron (or caldron) is a large pot ( kettle) for cooking or boiling over an open fire, with a lid and frequently with an arc-shaped hanger and/or integral handles or feet. There is a rich history of cauldron lore in religion, mythology, and ...
. Before boiling it, the octopus' tentacles are dipped in and out of the boiling water three times, while being held by its head—this is meant to curl the tips of the tentacles. The tentacles are preferred over the head, which sometimes is discarded. After the octopus has been boiled, it is trimmed with scissors, sprinkled with coarse salt and both sweet and spicy
paprika (known in Galicia as ''pemento'' and ''pemento picante'') and drizzled with
olive oil. The optimal cooking point is reached when the octopus is not rubbery but not overcooked, similarly to the ''
al dente'' concept when cooking
pasta
Pasta (, ; ) is a type of food typically made from an unleavened dough of wheat flour mixed with water or eggs, and formed into sheets or other shapes, then cooked by boiling or baking. Rice flour, or legumes such as beans or lentils, ar ...
. This is after approximately a 20–45 minutes boil (approximately 15 min/kg octopus), provided the octopus is left to rest for a further 20 minutes inside the boiled water away from the fire.
The dish is traditionally served on wooden plates with bread. Tradition dictates that water should not be drunk when eating octopus, so the dish is usually served accompanied by young Galician
red wine.
Traditionally, this diatopic use of octopus was facilitated by its inland availability as
stockfish. In the last decades, frozen octopus has replaced dried octopus. Fresh octopus is not so frequently used nowadays either, as it is necessary to pound it heavily before cooking to avoid the dish becoming rubbery. This procedure can be skipped after freezing, which, unlike other seafood, does not alter the
organoleptic
Organoleptic properties are the aspects of food, water or other substances that create an individual experience via the senses—including taste, sight, smell, and touch.
USDA uses
In traditional U.S. Department of Agriculture meat and poul ...
properties of octopus.
The provinces of
Ourense and
Lugo have a reputation for good octopus cooking. Fair-style octopus is the totemic food of the patron saint festivities of Lugo (San Froilán). Some Galician cooks specialize in this dish. They are usually women, known as ''polbeiras''.
After the modern decline of traditional rural fairs, many ''polbeiras'' (octopus restaurants)
have sprouted across Galicia. They tend to be rustic eateries rather than fancy restaurants.
See also
*
List of seafood dishes
This is a list of notable seafood dishes. Seafood dishes are food dishes which use seafood (fish, shellfish or seaweed) as primary ingredients, and are ready to be served or eaten with any needed preparation or cooking completed. Many fish or ...
References
External links
Galician Octopus Recipe by Clay Douglass
Galician cuisine
Spanish cuisine
Octopus dishes
National dishes
Tapas
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