Caldeirada de Polvo

At first glance Santa Luzia, in Portugal's eastern Algarve, is quiet and unassuming.

The sleepy fishing village lies about 30km from the Spanish border, a single palm-studded road running adjacent to the bay, where dozens of small fishing boats rock and creak in the year-round sun.

However at lunchtime Santa Luzia springs to life. As if on cue, a stream of cars and minivans pitch up and offload visitors, tourists and locals alike, who spread out among the many restaurants and tasquinhas lining the harbour. They are all here for one thing: octopus.

Because Santa Luzia is the octopus capital of Portugal.

Part of the national park of the Ria Formosa, the waters of Santa Luzia lie behind the Ilha de Tavira, an 11-kilometre stretch of sand bars and beaches, which have created a natural channel from the sea and with it the perfect conditions for octopus - and other marine life - to thrive.

Most, if not all, of the restaurants in Santa Luzia specialise in octopus. One of the most popular, the Casa do Polvo, quickly fills up with hungry customers on its large shaded terrace overlooking the water.

Menus are perused. Wines are chosen. The chat turns excitedly to the meal to come, as waiters run in and out of the restaurant carrying plate after plate of steaming octopus, or polvo. The large bronze kraken-like statue inside leaves no doubt as to what is on the menu here. Choose from octopus croquettes, octopus carpaccio, deep fried octopus, grilled octopus, octopus braised in wine, octopus à Bras (with egg and chips), à Pescador (stewed with sweet potatoes), à moda da Terra (baked in vinegar, olive oil and garlic), à moda do Norte (baked in a herb sauce), and many other mouth-watering variations.

After a long and relaxing lunch in Santa Luzia, head 10min east to the picturesque town of Tavira for an afternoon wandering the medieval streets, castle and churches. Stop to have a drink at one of the riverside cafés or else head out to Quatro Águas to spot colonies of pink flamingos come out to feed as the sun sets over the flat salt pans.

Ingredients (4-6 people)

1kg fresh whole octopus

2 medium onions (chopped)

1 red bell pepper (chopped)

2 tomatoes (deseeded, chopped)

2-3 garlic cloves (chopped)

1 tbsp tomate paste

1 tsp piri-piri sauce

1 tsp fish stock powder

Juice of 2 lemons

1 tbs thyme

1 tbs oregano

2 bay leaves

200ml white wine

200ml water (from Steps 2-3 below)

4-5 tbsp olive oil

Salt

Pepper

500g waxy potatoes (peeled and chopped)

Preparation (min. 3h)

1. Clean and chop the octopus (skip to Step 2 if done). Cut off the sac-like head above the eyes. Cut off the eyes above the tentacles. Turn the head inside out and trim off any entrails. Cut out the beak from the centre of the tentacles. Separate the tentacles one by one. Discard the eyes and beak. Rinse the head and tentacles thoroughly.

2. Bring a pot of water to the boil big enough to fit the octopus. Add salt, 50ml white wine, 1 chopped onion and 1 bay leaf to the water.

3. Blanch the octopus. With a pair of tongs, dip the octopus in the water for 30 seconds and remove. Repeat 3-4 times. The octopus will turn a pinkish colour and the tentacles will curl. Set the octopus aside to cool. Save 200ml of the water for later.

4. Marinade the octopus with olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper. Leave to marinade for at least 1 hour or ideally overnight.

5. In an oven-proof saucepan on medium heat, add 1 tbsp olive oil and sauté the second onion, red pepper, garlic and tomatoes until soft (10min). Add the tomato paste and piri-piri sauce. Add the octopus with all the juices from the marinade. Add the rest of the white wine, bay leaves, fish stock and water. Stir everything together. Cover and bake in the oven at 150C for 1h30 until tender, adding the potatoes at the halfway point. Remove and adjust seasoning.

6. Serve with a garnish of fresh coriander and a side of crusty bread.

TIP 1: The potatoes will thicken the sauce, but if it's still on the runny side, turn the heat up to 200C and roast, uncovered, for a further 20min.

TIP 2: To get a crunchy char on the tentacles, remove them from the pot after Step 5, pat dry and grill on a hot griddle pan for 1min each side.

TIP 3: For great fresh seafood in Brussels check out the Poissonerie d'Agadir (Chaussée de Wavre 213).