Portuguese · intermediate
Portuguese Garlic Olive Oil Roasted Octopus With Punched Potatoes
An iconic coastal dish featuring tender roasted octopus legs surrounded by gently crushed baby potatoes, bathed generously in garlic-infused extra virgin olive oil and finished with fresh parsley.
- PREP TIME
- 15 min
- COOK TIME
- 40 min
- SERVES
- 4
Good things
start in the kitchen.
LET’S MAKE IT
Step by step
- 01
Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Place whole baby potatoes in a pot of cold salted water, bring to a boil, and cook for 15 minutes until fork-tender. Drain well.
- 02
Place each cooked potato on a clean kitchen towel and press down gently with the palm of your hand or a small glass to crush it slightly without completely breaking it apart.
- 03
Arrange the crushed potatoes and pre-cooked octopus tentacles in a single layer inside a shallow baking dish.
- 04
In a small saucepan over low heat, combine extra virgin olive oil, sliced garlic, bay leaves, and sweet paprika. Warm for 3-4 minutes until the garlic sizzles softly and turns translucent without browning.
- 05
Pour the warm garlic olive oil evenly over the octopus and potatoes, ensuring every piece is well coated.
- 06
Roast in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until the octopus edges crisp slightly and the potato edges turn golden and crunchy.
- 07
Remove from the oven, sprinkle with sea salt flakes and chopped fresh parsley, and serve hot with extra lemon wedges.
A LITTLE KITCHEN KNOW-HOW
Bathed Oil Roasting (À Lagareiro)
A Portuguese technique where parboiled crushed root vegetables and seafood are generously bathed in aromatic garlic olive oil before roasting to achieve crispy edges and rich, moist interiors.
Notes from the kitchen
- Using pre-cooked octopus saves hours of simmering time while delivering ideal tenderness.
- Be careful when punching warm boiled potatoes to avoid hot steam escaping onto hands.
- Original home-cooking adaptation inspired by Portuguese; regional versions vary.
- Use halal-certified meat, poultry, stock, sauces, cheese and other processed ingredients. Check labels and avoid cross-contamination. Recipe screening is not halal certification.