Polvo à São Tomé
🐙 Octopus gently stewed with onion, tomato and red palm oil, finished with a little vinegar.
Ingredients
- 1 kg cleaned food-grade octopus, fresh or thawed in the refrigerator
- 2 medium onions, about 250 g
- 2 ripe tomatoes, about 300 g
- 45 ml food-grade red palm oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 whole small chilli, optional
- 30 ml white wine vinegar, added gradually
- 100–200 ml hot water if needed
- Black pepper and salt after cooking, to taste
Preparation
Buy cleaned octopus or ask the fishmonger to remove beak, innards and eyes. Thaw in the refrigerator if necessary. Rinse briefly, drain and cut into fairly large, even pieces.
Slice onions and dice tomatoes. Gently warm palm oil in a heavy pot and soften onions for 5 minutes without dark browning.
Add tomatoes, bay and optional whole chilli. Cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes to start the sauce.
Add octopus and cover. Cook gently as it releases liquid. Check the bottom after 10 minutes and add a little hot water only if needed.
Continue at a very gentle simmer for about 45–60 minutes, stirring carefully occasionally. Test a thick piece: continue cooking if a knife still meets clear resistance.
Once tender, add 15 ml vinegar first and taste the cooked sauce. Add the rest gradually if needed. Simmer 5 more minutes, uncovered if too watery.
Remove bay and chilli. Adjust salt and pepper at the end, rest 5 minutes and serve hot with a loose coating sauce.