Fish & SeafoodDifficulty: medium

Feijoada de Polvo (Octopus & White Bean Stew)

Name: Feijoada de Polvo (Octopus & White Bean Stew)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 70 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 1 kg octopus, thawed if frozen; 400 g white beans, soaked overnight (or 2 cans, rinsed); 1 onion, chopped; 4 garlic cloves, chopped; 2 tbsp sweet smoked paprika; 1 bay leaf; 100 ml olive oil; A handful of parsley, chopped; Salt and pepper

Northern Portugal's clay-pot stew: tender octopus with white beans in a smoky paprika broth.

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Instructions

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1Simmer the octopus in water (no salt) for 40 minutes until tender; cut into pieces and keep the cooking water.

2Soften the onion and garlic in the olive oil, add the paprika off the heat.

3Add the beans, a ladle of octopus water and the bay leaf; simmer 15 minutes.

4Fold in the octopus pieces and cook 10 more minutes so the broth turns smoky and pink-tinged. Finish with parsley.

Chef's Tip

Simmer the octopus without salt — salt tightens the arms; its own brine seasons the pot.

More tips ↓

A ladle of octopus cooking water into the beans carries the pink tint and sea flavor.
Cook the octopus first (about 40 min) or it will be rubbery in the stew.

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Feijoada de Polvo (Octopus & White Bean Stew)

Ingredients

Instructions

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