Polvo à Lagareiro (octopus Lagareiro style)

Polvo à lagareiro is the octopus sibling of the bacalhau dish of the same name — and many Portuguese would quietly tell you it is the superior of the two. Tender boiled octopus, roasted with garlic and a very generous pour of olive oil, nestled among batatas a murro, the famous “punched” potatoes.

The lagareiro of the name is the olive-press worker, a nod to the quantity of olive oil the dish demands — this is not the recipe for restraint. Its origins are often placed in Trás-os-Montes, though every coastal town now claims a version.

If octopus intimidates you, take heart: the method is almost foolproof. Boil it until tender, then roast it with the potatoes until the edges crisp and the kitchen smells like a Portuguese summer. Fancy enough for guests, easy enough for a Tuesday.

Polvo à Lagareiro Recipe

Prep time: 10 minutes · Cook time: 1 hour · Total: 1 hour 10 minutes · Servings: 4 · Calories: ~464 per serving

Ingredients

• 1 octopus, about 2 pounds
• 2 pounds small potatoes
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Olive oil — plenty of it
• Chopped parsley

Instructions

1. Cook the octopus in boiling water until tender, about 45 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, boil the potatoes with their skins on until tender, about 20 minutes.
3. Drain the octopus and cut it into serving pieces.
4. Drain the potatoes, place them in a baking dish and press each one lightly with a cloth until it cracks open — batatas a murro.
5. Nestle the octopus pieces among the potatoes.
6. Season with salt and pepper, scatter the sliced garlic over everything, and drizzle generously — generously! — with olive oil.
7. Roast at 400°F until golden, about 20 minutes.
8. Serve hot, sprinkled with chopped parsley.

Recipe Notes

• Freezing the octopus first (or buying frozen) tenderizes it — thaw slowly in the fridge.
• Thyme, rosemary or paprika are pleasant variations; cherry tomatoes and onions roast well alongside.
• For a smoky twist, grill the boiled octopus instead of roasting it.
• Test tenderness with a skewer in the thickest tentacle — it should slide in like into a boiled potato.