Pulpo El Congreso Style

[Bob]

Octopus "El Congreso"

1 frozen or fresh octopus (1 -2 pounds), cleaned
olive oil
10 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1 pound fresh green asparagus
1 pound large shrimp, shells removed
1 cup dry white wine or dry hard cider

Defrost the octopus in cold water. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then reduce the heat until it barely simmers. Add the octopus and cook on very low heat until done. The idea is to use the lowest heat possible to avoid toughening the octopus. Remove the octopus from the heat, drain it, let it cool, and cut it into bite-size pieces. Discard any skin, if you like, and check to be sure the beak has been removed. Steam or boil the asparagus until it is just barely done: it should still be quite crisp.

In a pan large enough to hold everything, heat the olive oil and fry the sliced garlic until golden. Remove the garlic slices with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Turn up the heat a bit and add the shrimp. Fry, stirring (or shaking the pan continuously to flip the contents) until the shrimp is mostly pink but not cooked all the way through (this doesn't take long). Remove shrimp from pan. Turn the heat to its highest setting. Add the white wine or cider and bring to a boil, reducing the volume by half. Immediately add the octopus, shrimp and precooked asparagus. Toss to heat through. Place in serving bowls, pour the remaining liquid over the top, and sprinkle with the fried garlic slices. Serve with crusty bread.

I had a dish very much like this at El Congreso in Piedras Blancas, and experimented to recreate it at home. If you find yourself in Asturias the restaurant is well worth trying. The food is very fresh, well prepared, and delicious. For more information about the restaurant, see [url]www.conoceasturias.com/asadorelcongreso [/url]. Don't forget to try the cider.

I've also added tiny clams to the olive oil after removing the garlic but before adding the shrimp. Cook them until they begin to open before adding the shrimp. Discard any that do not open by the time the dish is ready to serve.

[pepegil]

Como más me gusta hacer el pulpo es a la gallega, hay que reconocer que los gallegos son unos expertos en preparar esta deliciosa carne.