Arroz de polvo is what Portuguese coastal towns do with octopus when the grill is taken: simmer it tender, then cook the rice in its deeply flavored broth with tomato, pepper and paprika until everything glows brick-red and tastes of the sea.
The octopus cooking liquid is the treasure of this recipe — never pour it away. It carries all the flavor the rice will spend twenty minutes absorbing.
Like its cousin arroz de marisco (also on the site), it should land at the table slightly wet — malandrinho — with parsley on top and no leftovers in its future.
Arroz de Polvo Recipe
Prep time: 20 minutes · Cook time: about 1 hour 10 minutes · Total: about 1½ hours · Servings: 6 · Calories: ~418 per serving
Ingredients
- 2 pounds octopus (fresh or frozen), cleaned
- 1 large onion, halved, plus 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 4 cups water
- 2 cups long-grain white rice
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 2 medium ripe tomatoes, peeled and diced (or 1 cup canned)
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ cup white wine
- 3 cups reserved octopus cooking liquid
- Salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Simmer the octopus with the halved onion in the water until tender, 40 to 60 minutes. Reserve the liquid, cool the octopus slightly, and cut into pieces.
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil and soften the chopped onion, garlic and bell pepper, about 5 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, paprika and bay leaf and cook down 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add the wine, scrape the pot, and reduce by half, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Stir in the rice, then add 3 cups of the reserved octopus liquid. Boil, then cover and simmer about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- When the rice is nearly done, fold in the octopus and season.
- Cook 5 to 7 minutes more, until tender and creamy-wet.
- Rest 5 minutes off the heat, top with parsley, and serve hot.
Recipe Notes
- Frozen octopus arrives pre-tenderized — an advantage, not a compromise.
- The rice should stay loose; add more cooking liquid if it tightens.
- A few cilantro leaves with the parsley push it southern and lovely.
