Story by Chef John D. Folse and Michaela York | Recipe by Chef John D. Folse | Food Styling by Kathleen Kanen
In a flight from New Orleans to Dallas, Texas, in 2014, I watched a movie called The Way. Martin Sheen played the father of an estranged son who died while walking through the Pyrenees Mountains. Named for St. James the Greater, the Way of St. James (a.k.a. Camino de Santiago) has been traversed by pilgrims for hundreds of years. Then and there, the Camino became part of my bucket list. But there were so many obstacles: time off from work, the distance I had to walk, finding overnight accommodations, transporting luggage. Like St. James’ scallop shell that leads pilgrims along each path, caminoways.com pointed in the right direction. In October 2018, I gathered three friends, hopped on a plane to Spain, and, hours later, was traveling along the northwestern Iberian Peninsula, including the province of Galicia along the Atlantic Ocean and Bay of Biscay.
Surprisingly, Galicia is not unlike south Louisiana. Galicia is set apart from the rest of Spain with its unique dialect, love of food, and a warm welcome to strangers just passing through.
We began our pilgrimage at the end, walking the last 100 kilometers from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela. We walked over steep hills, through red fern gullies and eucalyptus forests with prayers for personal intentions. We tramped through sleet, snow, and downright downpours as we made our way toward Santiago with fellow pilgrims.
We overnighted in delightful country cottages where hot local fare, chilled sangria, and local Spanish wines were served daily. When the weather became cold, we discovered the rich, pudding-like consistency of Spain’s hot chocolate. Needless to say, we ate more than our fair share of Spain’s caldo, garlic soup, paella, and grilled octopus.
At the time, we thought this journey would be one and done! Not so. The Camino has a way of captivating hearts and reeling in pilgrims again and again. Buen Camino!
This recipe came about because of a gathering of Spanish merchants in Melide, Spain. They used the ingredients they had—octopus, paprika, citrus, and olive oil being amongst those. The octopus was traditionally finished over an open flame.
Chef Folse's Spanish-Style Grilled Octopus
Makes 2 servings
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- 2 large bay leaves
- 1½ teaspoons smoked Spanish paprika
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 (1-pound) Spanish octopus, rinsed and head discarded
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Cayenne and salt, to taste
- Garnish: chopped fresh parsley, grilled lemon slices
Instructions
- Place onion, garlic, bay leaves, paprika, salt, and 1 tablespoon olive oil into a saucepan. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until onions start to soften, about 5 minutes. Add white wine to create the braising liquid. Bring to a simmer.
- Place octopus into braising liquid, turning to coat with the liquid. Cover; reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes and turn octopus over. Continue cooking until octopus is tender, another 30 to 45 minutes.
- Remove from heat; transfer octopus to a large bowl. Pour braising liquid over octopus. Place bowl in a bowl of ice water to cool to room temperature. Cover bowl with plastic wrap when octopus and liquid are cool. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Transfer octopus to a work surface and pat dry with paper towels. Cut octopus into 3 or 4 serving-size pieces. Brush with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil.
- Transfer ⅓ cup braising liquid to saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat; remove from heat. Strain out solids; transfer liquid to a mixing bowl, and let cool for about 10 minutes. Stir in orange and lemon zests, lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and cayenne pepper to make the serving sauce.
- Heat grill to high heat. Place octopus pieces on grill. Cook until flesh is seared, almost charred, 3 or 4 minutes. Turn and cook other side until dark brown, caramelized, and heated through, another 3 or 4 minutes. Transfer to a platter. Slice octopus into fairly thick diagonal slices. Place on a serving dish. Spoon braising liquid mixture over the top. Dust with a bit of cayenne pepper. Garnish with parsley and lemon slices, if desired.
