Polvo à lagareiro takes the Atlantic octopus the boats know well and gives it the lagareiro — 'olive-presser' — treatment: the octopus is first boiled tender, then roasted hard with whole garlic cloves and a generous flood of good olive oil until the edges crisp.
It arrives with batatas a murro — small potatoes baked in their skins and lightly 'punched' open to drink the garlicky oil — and little else, because little else is needed. The dish leans on two southern staples, the catch and the oil, and on doing each properly; the octopus should yield, never bounce.
It is a restaurant centrepiece across the Algarve, and in Armação the octopus has rarely travelled far.
⭐ Must-try:
Polvo à lagareiro
Highlights
- Octopus boiled tender, then roasted
- Whole garlic and Algarve olive oil
- Served with 'punched' baked potatoes
- Crisp edges, yielding flesh
- A southern restaurant centrepiece
Frequently asked questions
What are batatas a murro?
Small potatoes baked in their skins and gently smashed open to soak up the garlicky olive oil.
How should the octopus be?
Tender and yielding — boiled first, then roasted; never rubbery.