Pulpo con chorizo y alubias blancas

Pulpo con chorizo y alubias blancas is a Spanish-inspired stew that combines tender octopus with spicy chorizo, creamy white beans and sweet pepper. Smoked paprika (Pimentón de la Vera) adds a warm smoky flavour that pairs beautifully with both seafood and sausage. This dish is easiest to make with cleaned, pre-cooked octopus.

Serves: 4
Preparation: approx. 15 minutes
Cooking: approx. 30 minutes
Total time: approx. 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg octopus, preferably pre-cooked and cleaned
• 500–600 g white beans from a jar or tin (drained weight approx. 400 g)
• 2 red peppers
• 1 onion
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley
• 1 spring onion
• 1 lemon
• 150 ml dry white wine
• 200 g chorizo (firm sausage), sliced
• 2 teaspoons Pimentón de la Vera (smoked paprika), to taste
• 1 teaspoon caster sugar
• 4–5 tablespoons olive oil
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

• Remove the membranes and seeds from the peppers and cut the flesh into small dice.
• Peel the onion and finely chop it.
• Peel the garlic and finely chop.
• Rinse the white beans under cold water and drain well.
• Wash the parsley and finely chop the leaves.
• Slice the spring onion into thin rings.
• Slice the chorizo if this has not already been done.
• Cut the lemon in half.
• Cut pre-cooked octopus into pieces of about 2–3 cm and pat dry with kitchen paper if needed.

Method

1. Fry the chorizo and onion
   Heat 1–2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large casserole over a medium heat. Fry the chorizo for 3–4 minutes, until it releases red oil and the slices lightly colour. Add the finely chopped onion and cook gently in the chorizo fat until soft and translucent. Add half of the chopped garlic and cook for another 1 minute over a low heat, so the garlic becomes fragrant but does not colour.
2. Fry the octopus and deglaze
   Add the octopus pieces to the pan and fry for 2–3 minutes over a slightly higher heat, so the octopus warms through and lightly colours in places. Sprinkle the caster sugar and the Pimentón de la Vera over the octopus and stir briefly over a medium heat; make sure the paprika does not burn. Deglaze with the dry white wine and scrape any browned bits off the base. Reduce the heat and let the octopus simmer gently in the sauce for about 15 minutes. Taste and season with a little salt and pepper if needed. You can remove the chorizo temporarily if you want the dish less spicy, and add it back in during the last minutes.
3. Warm the beans with pepper
   In a separate sauté pan, heat 2–3 tablespoons of olive oil over a medium heat. Add the remaining garlic and the diced pepper and cook gently for 2–3 minutes. Add the drained white beans and gently stir through. Let everything warm through slowly for 8–10 minutes. Add the spring onion and cook for another 2 minutes. Season the beans with a little salt and pepper. For extra flavour, you can add 1–2 tablespoons of the octopus sauce to the beans.
4. Finish the dish
   Just before serving, add half of the chopped parsley to the octopus and chorizo. Squeeze the lemon over (start with half a lemon and taste; add more to taste). Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.
5. Serve the stew
   Divide the white beans with pepper between four deep plates. Spoon the octopus with chorizo and some of the sauce on top. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley. Serve immediately, preferably with crusty bread for dipping into the smoky, spiced sauce.