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
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
- Cook the octopus in boiling water until tender, about 45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, boil the potatoes with their skins on until tender, about 20 minutes.
- Drain the octopus and cut it into serving pieces.
- Drain the potatoes, place them in a baking dish and press each one lightly with a cloth until it cracks open — batatas a murro.
- Nestle the octopus pieces among the potatoes.
- Season with salt and pepper, scatter the sliced garlic over everything, and drizzle generously — generously! — with olive oil.
- Roast at 400°F until golden, about 20 minutes.
- Serve hot, sprinkled with chopped parsley.
Enjoy our recipes? Add Maria’s Cookbook as a preferred source on Google to see more of our content in your search results.
