Octopus 'a la mugardesa'

Ingredients

Ingredients for 4 people: 2kg of octopus 4 potatoes 1 green pepper 1 large onion 2 or 3 peeled tomatoes oil vinegar coarse salt ½ teaspoon of hot paprika 3 cloves of garlic

Preparation

Put 2 litres of water into a pan and, when it begins to boil, put the octopus into it briefly three times. That way it will be more tender and the suckers on the tentacles will not be lost. Then let it cook, over a strong heat, for 40 minutes. When this time is up, put the water to one side so you can use it to make the sauce. Peel and chop the potatoes and partly cook them in the reserved water. Then add salt to them. Finely chop the onion and add it to a frying pan with oil. When it is well done, add the chopped pepper and tomato. After 15 minutes, add 2 or 3 large spoonfuls of octopus cooking water. Put the potatoes in a deep serving dish and the chopped octopus in the centre. Add salt immediately. Lightly fry the garlic and, separately, mix the sweet and hot paprika. When the garlic is browned, add a large spoonful of cooking water and then the paprika mixture. Optionally, you can use a little vinegar. Pour the sauce obtained over the octopus.

Presentation

Octopus must be served very hot.