Tagged: Polvo

Recipes

How to Cook Polvo/Octopus

Don’t be intimidated by cooking octopus. It’s relatively easy to do. I learned this method from my mother of boiling the octopus in water with only 1 onion and no salt required since the octopus is salty already. After boiling I like to bake the octopus with some onions and peppers and olive oil. If you have any leftovers simply make octopus salad, add it to omelets, stews and rice dishes.


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Recipe # 15 HOW TO COOK OCTOPUS – TASTE PORTUGAL MORE EASY PORTUGUESE RECIPES

If your octopus is frozen let defrost in the refrigerator for about 2 days in a large pan. The octopus retains a lot of water so be sure you have a very large pan. When ready to cook boil water in a large pan with 1 onion. Follow the video below. Your octopus should boil for about 45 minutes, then turn off heat and let it sit in the water for another 20 minutes. You can eat as is by cutting individual portions or bake with onions and peppers and some olive oil. Serve with more olive oil and white vinegar.

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    Baked Octopus with Potatoes – Polvo Assado com Batatas

     

     

    Baked Octopus is a must have at Christmas Eve at my home. Don’t be intimidated by the thought of cooking octopus because it’s relatively easy to prepare.

    Serves 2-4

    Ingredients:

    2 -3 pounds of octopus

    1 large onion

    1 large onion (chopped)

    2 pounds of small round potatoes (washed and dry)

    1 large red bell pepper (chopped)

    3 cloves garlic (chopped)

    ½ cup of olive oil

    ¼ cup of olive oil

    1 tablespoon white vinegar

    1 teaspoon salt

    1 teaspoon pepper

    1 bay leaf

    Parsley for garnish

    Olive oil and vinegar for garnish

    1 bunch of Broccoli Rabe

    Preparation:

    If our octopus is frozen, let thaw overnight in the refrigerator in a big bowl. It has a lot of water, so have a bowl big enough to hold the water. 

    1. Bring enough water in large pan to a boil with 1 large onion. When ready to cook, rinse the octopus with very cold water and remove the beak. You can just cut the head off and discard it. I use the head by chopping into little pieces and use it in omelets, rice, seafood dishes or as a salad.

    2. Grab the octopus by the head and dip the tentacles slightly into the boiling water, remove and dip again in the water 2 more times.

    3. Put the octopus into the boiling water and let cook on medium heat for 30 minutes or longer until the octopus is tender. (test by cutting a little piece off the tentacle)

          Note: You don’t want to over cook since it will be too mushy.

    4. Meanwhile, place the potatoes in a deep baking dish and season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with ½ of the raw chopped onion and ½ cup olive oil and cook at 400 F for about 30 minutes shaking the pan once in a while.

    5. Saute remaining chopped onion, red pepper, garlic, and bay leaf in ¼ cup olive oil for about 2 minutes. Add the vinegar and cook for a minute. Set aside.

    6. When octopus is cooked, drain and place in the pan with the potatoes and cover with pan juices. Add the cooked onions. Cook at 350 degrees F until the potatoes are fully cooked and the  flavors are well incorporated.

    To serve, cut the tentacles into serving portions of about 1 or 2 to each person. Serve with the potatoes, onions and peppers. Garnish with parsley, olive oil and vinegar if desired.

    Broccoli Rabe: Rinse, cut off thick stems and cook in boiling salted water for at least 8-10 minutes until tender. Drain and serve with more chopped onions garlic and olive oil. Serve over the octopus or on the side.