Polvo com batatas (octopus with potatoes) is a specialty at Mother-in-Law Restaurante.
The octopus is very tender, which is rather a feat because I read somewhere that if it’s overcooked it becomes rubbery, and it’s not hard to overcook octopus. It’s also a challenge because the tentacles are not all the same thickness, either end-to-end or compared with each other.
In my flavor world, about the only thing missing here is cilantro, but cilantro is more prevalent in the center and south of Portugal, not the north. If I want it, I’ll have to bring my own little baggie and add it myself. I’ve cooked smaller octopus for arroz de polvo, but I have yet to buy and cook these large tentacles. I was tempted last year, after we were in Malta and I had a delicious octopus salad, but I’ve not done it yet. Baby steps… I only started eating seafood in my 20s!
September 4, 2016
Album: Portugal [Summer 2016]