Risotto de Polvo - Octopus Rice Recipe

Posted on November 19, 2007
Filed Under Food

Long ago Portuguese fisherman uncovered all sorts of unexpected delicacies deep in the oceans they navigated, salting some for long voyages such as bacalhau (codfish), while others closer to shore brought back the fresh seafood goodness. Today both the salted and the fresh are hugely important in the Portuguese diet. With so much coast surrounding us on the west and south of the country, plus our islands of the Azores, its easy to understand why the Portuguese kitchen and diet is so rich in the fruits of the sea.

Rissoto del Polvo - Octopus rissoto

One popular deep-sea treat we’ve been feasting on for centuries is the Octopus - yes the multi-legged creature that makes some of us nervous about taking a dip in the ocean. But on a plate, octopus is tender and delicate and not scary at all. Flavour wise it’s very similar to its cold water neighbor the squid…or in more politically correct terms “calamari”. Octopus (known as Polvo in Portuguese) is still very popular and in the Algarve, we enjoy it dried, smoked, stewed and especially in Arroz de Polvo (Octopus Rice), a traditional dish rooted from the islands of Madeira.

I’ve adapted the recipe slightly, instead of using standard rice; I’ve changed it to risotto, for a creamier consistency and added white wine, because it’s just so good. With wines like these - deliciousness is cause enough to break some rules ;o)

Although octopus may seem very exotic and difficult to cook, it’s not. It needs a little prep before starting the rice, but then it’s a cinch…if you’ve ever wondered about octopus, this is a good way to give it a try.

Risotto de Polvo
Source: Adapted from - Cozinha Tradicional Portuguesa
Serves 2 generously, and can be doubled easily

1k Polvo - Cleaned
½ Med. sized onion, whole
3/4 Cup risotto rice
½ Med sized onion, finely chopped
4 large garlic cloves- finely chopped
1/2 Can diced tomatoes (or use fresh)
2 Bay leaves
2Tbsp Tomato Paste
4 Tbsp Olive oil
1Tsp Paprika
Pinch pepper
4 Tbsp Cilantro
Pinch of sugar
½ Cup White wine
Fish stock, reserved from octopus
Boiling water

Prepare Octopus

Place octopus in med size pot halfway full of boiling water (aprox. 4 cups water), add ½ whole onion, and let boil for 10min, on medium high heat.

Drain octopus and reserve onion

Fill pot half full again and let come to boil place octopus back in with onion and cook for another 25 min. Until fork pierces tentacles easily.

When cooked, separate octopus from stock, place octopus on plate to cool and reserve stock. You can discard the onion.

When Octopus has cooled, chop into small chunks. Set aside.

*Note. Octopus is a bit slippery when raw but will firm up nicely once cooked. It will be rubbery when cooked for only a few minutes, it needs to cook until tender about 30min. It may also have a thin purplish skin, most of it will come off during the first blanching, any remain bits are fine and don’t need to be removed unless you prefer.

Prepare Risotto

In a sauté pan, add olive oil and garlic, let oil cook for a couple of minutes to infuse with garlic, then add chopped onion and cook until onions are transparent.

Add diced tomatoes in juice, tomato paste, bay leaf, a ½ cilantro, pepper, paprika and let tomatoes cook into sauce for about 10-15 minutes on medium heat.

Add pinch of sugar, this helps round out the acidity on the tomatoes, blend well into the sauce.

Add rice and coat well with sauce, then add half of the stock and gently stir. Keep hot water close by to add when rice begins to dry. Make sure to taste sauce with each small addition of water, you can substitute stock for water if you prefer a stronger seafood flavour.

Follow package directions for rice and add water as needed unit rice start to become tender, keep stirring to ensure creaminess of rice.

Just as rice becomes slightly tender, add chopped octopus, mix well, then add white wine, mix well again. Taste for salt. Octopus stock may already have enough salt so taste before adding more.

Risotto is best served immediately, sprinkle with remaining cilantro and serve.

Print Recipe

*Note. For a less fishy flavour you can substitute the octopus stock for a knorr seafood stock cube. Melt cube in 1 cup hot water and substitute for octopus stock.

Risotto can be quite filling, so this dish works well with a simple leafy side salad, dressed with onion, lemon, oil and cilantro and lastly add a pinch of flor de sal. Don’t forget to bring out the leftover white wine to accompany this dish. Enjoy!

Comments

4 Responses to “Risotto de Polvo - Octopus Rice Recipe”

Judy on November 21st, 2007 2:09 am

That looks so good. I can’t even imagine where I would get Octopus around here though! Do you think frozen would work?
Eddie on November 21st, 2007 7:53 am

Hi Judy,

Yes, absolutely you can use frozen. Let it thaw and then cook as above.
James on May 6th, 2008 1:06 am

i remember many years ago while visiting portugal i remember enjoying polvo assado from vendors on the side of the road in the algarve.
i live in australia and would like to know how they prepare the octopus ready for the charcoal bbq. any recipe would be a start.
thanks
Eddie on May 7th, 2008 3:22 pm

Ola James, all the way from Australia!
I used to eat Polvo Assado every time I went to the fairs, but haven’t had it in a while and haven’t tried making it myself, YET! But will look into it and and let you know.