Pulpo a la Gallega

Pulpo a la Gallega is a Spanish dish from the seaside region of Galicia.  The English translation, Galician octopus, doesn't sound quite as sexy, so I am sticking with the Spanish name.  This is one of those dishes that is both rustic and refined.  I first boiled a 2-lb octopus in water with a whole lemon, garlic cloves, onion and flat leaf parsley.  Once tender (after about 45 minutes), I took out the octopus and sliced the tentacles into rounds.  While the octopus was boiling, I roasted some baby fingerling potatoes in the oven with olive oil, salt and lemon juice.  Finally, I dressed the octopus and potatoes with red wine vinegar, oilve oil, sea salt, smoked paprika and parsley for garnish.  This was a really good dish that represented all the flavors of Spain.  The octopus was tender but still had that characteristic chewiness, and the smokiness of the paprika really kicked up the potatoes.