I strolled across the beach and walked the glowing sand past where the sea usually lies, a rare privilege bestowed by the king low tide. Three metre tidal changes are not uncommon here in the Basque Country, and with the king tides the octopus are more accessible.  Having learned some tricks from local octopus fisherman, I searched around where the sand meets the rocks and was rewarded under the first rock I checked. (I’d just like to mention that catching these very strong and intelligent creatures requires a fishing licence and the bag limit is 2 per licensed fishermen per day with size restrictions…Regulations are important!)

We cooked our Octopus following a Galician Style Octopus Recipe by a the incredibly talented Visual Story Teller, Author and Photographer Ginare Marcel

The sea spray lifts and falls upon the lush coastline. 

We cooked the Octopus together with the potatoes.

We served up what we were going to eat in the moment and left the rest together to keep the meal warm.

My friend preparing the dish before we devoured it thankful for such a gift from the sea.

  Last night we gathered to cook & enjoy the Octopus I caught on the #basquecountry coast, we prepared it “Galician” style with boiled potatoes , a dash of olive oil & smoked paprika. A delicious meal.

Here are more photos by Gintare Marcel, who has a gift for creating delicious food and stunning art, searching for beauty and magic in everyday life. See her book L’Art de la Table via her website.

A photo posted by Gintare Marcel (@gintare_marcel) on Mar 23, 2014 at 12:48pm PDT

New post on fregola with seafood and a few stories from Sardinia A photo posted by Gintare Marcel (@gintare_marcel) on Oct 8, 2013 at 6:06am PDT