This dish is prepared by first boiling the octopus inside a copper cauldron. Before actually boiling it, the octopus' tentacles are dipped in and out of the boiling water three times, held by its head. The objective of this operation is 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 …

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This dish is prepared by first boiling the octopus inside a copper cauldron. Before actually boiling it, the octopus' tentacles are dipped in and out of the boiling water three times, held by its head. The objective of this operation is 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 the one in which octopus is not rubbery but not overcooked either, similarly to the al dente concept in Italian pasta cooking. This is achieved after approximately a 40-90 minutes boil, provided that 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 and bread. Tradition dictates that drinking water should not accompany octopus, so the dish is usually accompanied by young Galician red wine.

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