Octopus in a Mugardos Style Recipe

Ingredients

• 4½ lb (2 kg) octopus, cleaned & chopped into chunks
• 3½ pt (2 L) water
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 2 red peppers, finely chopped
• 2 green peppers, finely chopped
• 5¼ fl oz (150 ml) olive oil, plus 3 tbsp
• 2½ fl oz (70 ml) white wine
• 1¾ pt (1 L) fish stock
• 5 potatoes, peeled & cut into chunks
• handful of fresh thyme (optional)
• 3½ oz (100 g) peas (optional)
• 1 clove of garlic, chopped finely
• 1 tsp pimentón dulce (sweet paprika)

1. Put the octopus in a saucepan with 2 L of boiling water and cook until tender (about 20–30 minutes). Reserve the water.
2. Pour 3 tbsp of olive oil in a large saucepan and gently sauté the onion with the red and green peppers until soft.
3. Add the cooked octopus, and the wine, and allow to reduce.
4. When the wine has reduced, add the fish stock, the potatoes, the thyme leaves, the peas (if using) and a few tbsp of the reserved water used to cook the octopus. Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked.
5. In a separate frying pan, gently sauté the garlic until golden. Take off the heat, and allow to cool slightly before stirring in the paprika.
6. Add the garlic-paprika mixture to the stew.
7. Allow to rest for 5 minutes, and serve. Optionally, and if you have a large glass bowl, or similar, you can scorch the thyme and place it underneath with the octopus to let the smoke imbue the dish. Uncover it at the table.