Polvo à Lagareiro

Polvo à lagareiro is octopus boiled tender, then finished under the grill and drenched in olive oil with smashed potatoes. It is named for the lagareiro, the worker who once tended an olive press, and the dish's defining flood of olive oil is a direct nod to a trade with more of it on hand than anyone else.

What it really is

Octopus boils slowly until it turns genuinely tender rather than rubbery, a texture that takes patience and a long simmer to reach. Finished briefly under a hot grill or in the oven, the tentacles char lightly at the edges while staying soft inside, then the whole dish — octopus and small, roughly smashed potatoes together — gets drenched in olive oil, far more generously than almost any other dish would call for.

The olive oil quantity is the whole point, not excess. Lagareiro-style dishes are named for exactly this — a flood of good olive oil poured over the finished plate, a habit that traces back to olive-press workers who had more of it on hand than any other ingredient.

How it is served

• On a plate, octopus and smashed potatoes together, oil pooling generously around both.
• With a scatter of garlic and sometimes coarse salt over the top.
• As a main course, often a centrepiece rather than a side.

How to write it on the menu

• Flag the molluscs.
• Say how the octopus was tenderised, since technique genuinely affects the final texture and some kitchens have their own method.
• Note the amount of olive oil used, since it's meant to be generous and some guests may not expect that much.

The ingredients, allergens and dietary notes listed here describe a typical recipe. They are not a binding declaration for any particular restaurant: recipes, portion sizes and the products used can differ.