Galician Octopus

A traditional Galician market would be unthinkable without the pulperías, or octopus stands that pop up among the stalls of umbrellas, vast flesh-coloured corsets, bedroom slippers, cheese and bread. Translucent octopus are dunked on long metal hooks into copper cauldrons of swirling pink water. Later they emerge plumped and violet. They are snipped with scissors on to small wooden platters and promptly eaten with olive oil, salt and paprika.

At Ribadavia’s twice-monthly mark