Arroz de Polvo (Portuguese Octopus Rice)
- Prep
- 10 min
- Total
- 1 h 20 min
- Servings
- 5
- Calories
- 430 kcal
Arroz de polvo is one of Portugal’s best-loved seafood recipes: boiled octopus cut into pieces and folded into a base of onion, tomato and pepper, with carolino rice cooked in the octopus broth and fresh cilantro at the end. It’s a festive dish; allow about an hour and a half.
The tentacles turn tender when well cooked, and the taste of the sea goes into the broth, which is the soul of this rice.
Recipe
Arroz de Polvo
Soupy octopus rice, with the octopus blanched before cooking so it stays tender, and a base of tomato, pepper and cilantro. A Portuguese classic with a deep flavor.
Ingredients
Method
Preparing the octopus
- 1Wash the octopus well and remove the beak, the skin and the eyes.
- 2Bring a large pot of water to a boil. When it's boiling, dip the octopus quickly into the water (blanching) 3 times so the tips of the tentacles curl.
- 3Cook the octopus in salted water for about 40 minutes, until tender. The time varies with the size of the octopus.
Making the rice
- 4In a large pot, heat a little olive oil. Add the onion, garlic, tomato and green pepper and cook until the vegetables are soft.
- 5Add the rice and stir well so it's coated in the vegetables.
- 6Add the white wine and let the alcohol cook off.
- 7Add the octopus cut into pieces, the bay leaf and the cilantro, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.
- 8Add the fish stock (or hot water) and cook over medium heat for about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring now and then.
Finishing
- 9Check whether the rice is cooked. If needed, add more hot stock.
- 10When the rice is cooked, turn off the heat and let it rest for a few minutes before serving.
- 11Serve the octopus rice hot, with more fresh cilantro on top.
Tender octopus
Everything depends on cooking the octopus first. Blanch it, then simmer it gently; depending on size, it can take 45 to 60 minutes. Let it cool in its broth before cutting it, and keep all that broth for the rice.
Allow about 1 part rice to 3 parts octopus broth. Add the cilantro off the heat, just before serving; parsley is the alternative for those who don’t like it. A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil at the end makes a difference.
