Ingredients
Octopus
- 1octopus, about 1.5 kg, cleaned
- 1onion, whole
- 2bay leaves
Potatoes
- 800 gsmall new potatoes, unpeeled
- coarse salt
To roast
- 200 mlgood olive oil
- 8 clovesgarlic, sliced
- 2 tbspchopped parsley
- coarse sea salt
- black pepper
To serve
- wilted greens or a simple salad
- a Portuguese white or a light red
Directions
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil with an onion and bay leaves. Do not salt the water, which is the traditional Portuguese practice and is said to toughen the flesh.
- Hold the octopus by the head and dip it into the boiling water three times, a few seconds each, before lowering it in. Now simmer it gently for forty-five minutes to an hour, depending on size.
- Keep it at a bare simmer rather than a rolling boil, which toughens the flesh and can tear the skin away. It should slide in with almost no resistance, like going into a boiled potato.
- Cut it into large pieces, keeping the tentacles whole or halved. Boil the small potatoes in their skins in well salted water until tender. Cook them in their skins, which keeps them from absorbing water and falling apart. Drain them and let them steam dry for a few minutes.
- Press each potato with the heel of your hand or the base of a glass until it cracks open and flattens slightly. Do not crush them flat: they should split and open while holding together. Put the octopus and punched potatoes in a roasting dish, with space around them rather than piled up. Scatter the sliced garlic over and season with coarse salt and pepper.
- Pour a very generous quantity of good olive oil over everything, enough to pool in the bottom of the dish. Use a good oil, since it is a main flavour rather than a cooking fat and it is not disguised by anything. Now roast at 200°C for twenty-five to thirty minutes.
- Baste everything with the oil from the dish halfway through. Serve it in the roasting dish with all the oil, and with bread to soak it up. Serve wilted greens or a simple salad alongside, and nothing more elaborate.
Technique
- The cork in the pot is folklore with no mechanism behind it.
- Freezing genuinely tenderises octopus, and most sold is already frozen.
- Punching the potatoes creates cracks that catch the oil and crisp.
Substitutions
- Any small waxy potato in place of new potatoes.
- Pre-cooked octopus, which is sold ready to roast.
Variations
- Bacalhau à lagareiro, made with salt cod instead.
- With sliced onion roasted alongside.
- Finished under a hot grill for more colour.
Frequently asked questions
What is Polvo à lagareiro?
Polvo à lagareiro is a main from Portugal: roast octopus drenched in olive oil with punched potatoes.
How long does Polvo à lagareiro take to make?
Polvo à lagareiro takes 20 min of preparation and 1 hr 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Polvo à lagareiro?
Yes, within limits. Any small waxy potato in place of new potatoes. Pre-cooked octopus, which is sold ready to roast.
What is the most important thing to get right in Polvo à lagareiro?
Bring a large pot of water to the boil with an onion and bay leaves. Do not salt the water, which is the traditional Portuguese practice and is said to toughen the flesh.
