AI-generated photo.
Spanish · Iconic, Galicia · Spain
Galician octopus
Also called polbo á feira
Galician octopus (polbo á feira), a Galicia plate from Spain.
Pai editors’ mark 5 / 5
Plan, list, and collections
Galician octopus is cooked in Galicia as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Simmer the octopus until it is tender, then slice it over boiled potato with paprika and oil. It is cooked through, not raw. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Health
How this plate sits
Counted from the ingredient table. The score, richness, and badges describe one serving as written. The ring and the nutrient table follow the serving count above. This is general information, not medical advice.
82
Health score
Light & nourishing
Moderate
Richness
Light
Light to very rich, from fat, saturated fat, sugar, and the cream or butter in the plate.
- Protein 39%
- Carbs 33%
- Fat 28%
Watch · Diabetes-friendly
It misses a gentler mark: sugar, fiber, the starch mix, or the richness of the plate.
Suits · Heart-friendly
Saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium stay modest, with some fiber.
Suits · Weight loss
Calories stay contained and protein is high enough to feel like a meal.
Suits · High protein
About 26 g of protein in the serving.
Watch · Low sodium
About 666 mg of sodium, above the 450 mg mark.
Suits · Gluten-free
No wheat, barley, or rye in the required list. Still read labels on sauces and oats.
Suits · Dairy-free
No milk ingredients in the required list.
Watch · Vegetarian
Meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish is in the required list.
Suits · Pregnancy
No alcohol, liver, or caffeine in the required list. Cook meat, eggs, and seafood through.
Suits · Gentle when sick
Mild, not fried, and not a very rich plate. Comfort, not a treatment.
Suits · Kid-friendly
Heat stays mild, and the required list has no alcohol or liver.
Calories by ingredient
Each number is that ingredient’s table calories, split across the servings.
- Octopus131 kcal
- Potato77 kcal
- Olive oil55 kcal
- Sweet paprika3 kcal
- Garlic1 kcal
Glycemic load
Estimated glycemic load for this count: 14.1. The bands come from the ingredient table.
Portion
One serving is about 268 kcal. Two portions would be about 536 kcal if you want a fuller plate.
Allergens. Shellfish
Make it healthier
Use half the salt
Salt adds no calories in this table, so the calorie figure stays put while sodium falls.
About 268 kcal after the change.
Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.
The same plate with less sodium. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
Serve three-quarters of the plate.
The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
| Nutrient | Amount | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 268 kcal | 13% |
| Protein | 26 g | 52% |
| Carbohydrate | 21.9 g | 8% |
| Fiber | 2.5 g | 9% |
| Total sugars | 0.9 g | 2% |
| Fat | 8.1 g | 10% |
| Saturated fat | 1.2 g | 6% |
| Cholesterol | 77 mg | 26% |
| Sodium | 666 mg | 29% |
| Potassium | 1012 mg | 22% |
| Calcium | 101 mg | 8% |
| Iron | 9.6 mg | 53% |
| Magnesium | 73 mg | 17% |
| Zinc | 3 mg | 27% |
| Vitamin A | 97 mcg | 11% |
| Vitamin C | 28 mg | 31% |
| Vitamin D | 0 mcg | 0% |
| Vitamin E | 3.1 mg | 21% |
| Vitamin K | 7 mcg | 6% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.1 mg | 11% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.1 mg | 8% |
| Niacin (B3) | 4.5 mg | 28% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.9 mg | 54% |
| Folate | 41 mcg | 10% |
| Vitamin B12 | 32 mcg | 1333% |
These figures follow the USDA-linked ingredient table where a safe FoodData Central row exists. Optional ingredients are left out. A few pantry items still use Pai's curated numbers because no close USDA row was found. 50 g is the daily value for added sugar. This figure is total sugar, including fruit and milk.
- A serving stays under about 420 calories, so it can sit inside an ordinary day.
- A middle path: useful food, with one or two numbers worth watching.
- Shellfish should be fully cooked. This is an allergen for many people.
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.
Equipment
- Large pot
- Scale
- Colander
- Timer
Ingredients
Each line is stored in grams. The second amount is the other system, so a cup measure and the gram weight stay together.
Octopus2 octopus640 g
Potato3 potatoes400 g
Olive oil2 tbsp27.47 ml
Sweet paprika1 tsp4 g
Garlic1 clove4 g
Kosher salt0.5 tsp3 g
The first amount follows the unit toggle. The second is the other system. Both follow the serving count.
If you need to swap
- Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.. The same plate with less sodium.
- Serve three-quarters of the plate.. The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion.
Method
AI-generated photo.
1Set out a scale and the equipment for Galician octopus. Heat to a rolling boil at 212°F / 100°C and give it 5 minutes so the surface is actually hot. Weigh octopus, potato, olive oil, sweet paprika, garlic, kosher salt. Galician octopus is cooked in Galicia as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Simmer the octopus until it is tender, then slice it over boiled potato with paprika and oil. It is cooked through, not raw. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Heat 5 min
AI-generated photo.
2Galician octopus is cooked in spain. Also called polbo á feira. Boil only the starch. The sauce belongs in a second pan.
AI-generated photo.
3Cook the aromatics first, then the main ingredient for Galician octopus, until the edges take a little color. Potatoes are done when a knife enters with almost no resistance.
Build the base
AI-generated photo.
4Add the remaining weighed foods and cook Galician octopus at a rolling boil at 212°F / 100°C. Start checking at 14 minutes. Galician octopus is done when the starch is tender to a knife and the sauce, if there is one, clings instead of pooling.
Boil 14 min
- 🇪🇸 SpainSouthern Europeicon-spain-galician-octopus-step-4
Galician octopus, step 5
Step 5 · Galician octopus
5Check the center of Galician octopus, not the edge. If the cue is not true yet, give it a few more minutes and look again. Opening a lid or an oven door early drops the heat.
- 🇪🇸 SpainSouthern Europeicon-spain-galician-octopus-step-5
Galician octopus, step 6
Step 6 · Rest 5 min
6Rest Galician octopus for 5 minutes, then taste and adjust the salt. Serve it in the way it is eaten in spain, with the sauce or garnish that belongs to it. Film Galician octopus in this shot order and no other: liquid going in and lifting the fond; the oven dial and a hot rack; a spoon making a path through the sauce; oil or butter just starting to shimmer. Slate words for the editor: ember, sable, hearth, zester, shimmer, jute, amber, olive, dough, skillet.
Rest 5 min
How you know it is done
Galician octopus is done when the starch is tender to a knife and the sauce, if there is one, clings instead of pooling.
If it goes wrong
- Galician octopus looks done at the edge and is still raw in the center. Trust the cue, not the color. Check the thickest piece and give it a few more minutes.
- Galician octopus turned out salty, dry, or watery. Weigh the salt and the liquid next time. Keep the heat at the temperature in the method, and stop when the doneness cue appears.
Storage
Cool Galician octopus, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze portions for a month if the dish reheats in a pot or oven. Reheat leftovers until steaming.
How this dish helps your daily life
- Galician octopus is one of the plates people ask for by name from Galicia.
- Every ingredient is weighed, so the calorie, protein, and sodium lines come from the table rather than a guess.
Notes
Pregnancy. Cook meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood through. Skip alcohol if a bottle is listed, or cook it until the steam no longer smells of it. There is no raw-fish step.
From the kitchen. Simmer the octopus until it is tender, then slice it over boiled potato with paprika and oil. It is cooked through, not raw.
Allergens in the required list: Shellfish.
Your stars and note
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.