Arroz de Polvo

Ingredients

• 1octopus — about 1.5 kg, boiled tender and chopped
• 300 gcarolino rice
• 1onion — finely chopped
• 5 clovesgarlic — minced
• 3ripe tomatoes — grated
• 1green pepper — diced
• 120 mldry white wine
• 1 Loctopus cooking broth
• 4 tbspfresh coriander — chopped
• 5 tbspolive oil
• to tastefine sea salt

Method

1. Begin by preparing the octopus. Place the whole octopus in a large pot and cover it with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the octopus is tender, about 45 minutes. The octopus is ready when you can easily pierce it with a fork. Reserve 1 liter of the cooking broth and set the octopus aside to cool.
2. In a large, heavy-bottomed pan, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the cooled octopus, cut into bite-sized pieces. Sauté the octopus until it is lightly browned and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Remove the octopus from the pan and set it aside.
3. In the same pan, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Lower the heat to medium and add the finely chopped onion and minced garlic. Cook gently until the onion is translucent and the garlic is fragrant, about 5 minutes. Grate the tomatoes directly into the pan, discarding the skins, and add the chopped green pepper. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture becomes dark, jammy, and sweet, about 15 minutes.
4. Add the carolino rice to the pan, stirring it through the refogado until each grain is coated in the flavorful oil. Cook for a few minutes until the rice turns glassy and slightly translucent. This step ensures the rice absorbs the flavors from the refogado.
5. Pour in the reserved octopus cooking broth and the dry white wine. Stir to combine and taste the liquid for salt, adding fine sea salt as needed. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, ensuring the rice is fully submerged in the liquid.
6. Return the browned octopus pieces to the pan, stirring them through the rice. Cover the pan with a lid, allowing the rice to cook gently. The rice should absorb most of the liquid but remain loose and slightly soupy, known as 'malandrinho'.
7. Once the rice is cooked to a tender consistency, remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the freshly chopped coriander, allowing its aroma to infuse the dish. Serve the Arroz de Polvo directly from the pan, embracing the Algarve's tradition of simplicity and flavor.