Authentic Azorean Octopus Stew Recipe: Tender Polvo Guisado
Master this Authentic Azorean Octopus Stew recipe. A tender polvo guisado featuring slow-braised tentacles, rich red wine, and hearty new potatoes.
Soup Recipes
18 reviews
233.1k views
Ingredients
2 (2-pound / 900g) octopus, cleaned2 tablespoons (30ml) olive oil2 cups (300g) chopped onions2 tablespoons (30g) chopped garlic2 crushed bay leaves8 cups (1.9L) chicken stock2 cups (475ml) red wine2 pounds (900g) fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped1 pound (450g) new potatoesPinch of crushed red pepper2 tablespoons (8g) chopped fresh coriander2 tablespoons (8g) chopped parsleySalt and pepper to taste
Equipment:
Large heavy-bottomed potCutting boardChef knifeWooden spoonColander
Directions
- Submerge the octopus in a large pot of boiling water for 5 minutes.
- Drain and let it cool, then cut the tentacles into 2-inch lengths or chunks and reserve.
- In a large pot, add the olive oil, when the oil is hot add the onions, garlic and bay leaves.
- Fry in the oil for 3 to 4 minutes, or until slightly wilted.
- Deglaze the pan with the wine, bring the liquid up to a boil and let it reduce by half.
- Stir in the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, the octopus and stock.
- Bring the liquid up to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
- Simmer the stew for about 2 hours on low heat.
- Stir in the crushed red pepper, fresh coriander and parsley.
- Once the octopus is almost cooked, add the potatoes and cook for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.
- Check the salt and pepper, let it cool slightly and enjoy.
Nutritional Facts (Per Serving)
Calories
450 kcal
Fat
12 g
Carbs
35 g
Protein
42 g
You might also like
Gorete's Yum Caldo Verde Soup Recipe
Gorete's yum caldo verde soup, uses spicy chouriço and collard greens with a potato base.
| Level of Difficulty | Easy |
| Servings | 8 |
Gorete's chouriço and Bean Stew Recipe
Gorete's chouriço and bean stew (guisado de chouriço e feijão), a quick and tasty dish.
| Level of Difficulty | Easy |
| Servings | 4 |
Fava Beans Stew with Chouriço Recipe
Slow-simmered fava beans stew with chouriço, a smoky, savory, and irresistibly rich warm hug in a...
| Level of Difficulty | Easy |
| Servings | 4 |
Comments (18)
Claude Benchimol
I made your recipe, just the way you said. It came out scrumptious. Thank you, The family loved it.
reply
3 Years ago, Saturday, May 20, 2023
Tuga Pops
Great to hear. 🙂
reply
3 Years ago, Saturday, May 20, 2023
Michael
Where can I find information about cleaning and prepping octopus
3 Years ago, Saturday, May 20, 2023
Mary
What does “deglaze with wine†mean #5?
Thanks
Thanks
3 Years ago, Saturday, January 21, 2023
Tuga Pops
Deglaze in simple terms just mean adding liquid to a hot pan Mary.
3 Years ago, Sunday, January 22, 2023
Olivia
Sounds yummy! But I’m remembering mother making it and using red wine never white. And it seems as if very little other fluid was used because the Octopus Made enough of its own while stewing for two or more hrs. Have you ever tasted any prepared my mother’s way? Especially using the red wine which truly gave it a delicious taste.
4 Years ago, Wednesday, July 13, 2022
Tuga Pops
My parents were from Sao Miguel, Azores, and always used red wine for octopus stew.
8 Months ago, Wednesday, September 24, 2025
Liz Kennedy
Sounds delicious. My mother also used red wine. She was from the island of Pico.. Perhaps other islands use white wine instead??
8 Months ago, Wednesday, September 24, 2025
Tuga Pops
Yes Olivia, we always use red wine for this recipe, I just changed it to red.
4 Years ago, Wednesday, July 13, 2022
Debbie
Where region do you buy from? I went to the market, and they had octopus from 3 different regions.
4 Years ago, Wednesday, July 6, 2022
Hank
I'm making your recipe today, but 8 cups of stock seems excessive, worried about making it too liquidy?
4 Years ago, Saturday, July 2, 2022
Jeff
Does the octopus have to be thawed out when starting or frozen? Mine is frozen and it ways to keep frozen until ready to use.
4 Years ago, Sunday, June 19, 2022
Top 3 Soup Recipes
#1
#2
#3
