Polvo à Lagareiro — Print Recipe

A whole octopus roasted until tender and slightly charred, then drenched in hot olive oil at the table. Served on a bed of smashed roasted potatoes, this is Portugal's most dramatic seafood dish.

Ingredients

1 whole octopus (about 1.5kg)
800g small potatoes, skin on
8 cloves garlic, unpeeled
150ml extra-virgin olive oil
Fresh coriander
Coarse sea salt
Bay leaf
1 onion, halved

Instructions

1 Boil octopus in water with bay leaf and onion for 45-55 minutes until tender when pierced with a knife. Drain.
2 Boil potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain, then lightly crush each potato with your palm.
3 Place octopus and crushed potatoes in a roasting pan. Tuck garlic cloves around them.
4 Drizzle generously with olive oil and roast at 220°C for 15-20 minutes until octopus tips are crispy and potatoes are golden.
5 Heat remaining olive oil until very hot. At the table, pour the sizzling oil over the octopus and potatoes.
6 Scatter with coriander and coarse salt. Serve immediately.

Did You Know?

The name "lagareiro" refers to the olive press worker, and the dish celebrates the olive oil harvest — the oil is the star, not the octopus.