Polvo à Lagareiro (roasted octopus with smashed potatoes, garlic and olive oil)

Method

1. Cook the octopus in unsalted water with the whole peeled onion and the bay leaves, 40 to 45 minutes over low heat, until a fork slides into the thickest part of a tentacle with no resistance. Let it sit 10 minutes in its own water, then drain.
2. Boil the small potatoes in their skins in water with the salt, 20 to 25 minutes, until tender. Drain, dry them and press each one with your fist to split it open without breaking it up.
3. Lay the octopus and potatoes in a roasting tin, pour over all the olive oil and scatter the sliced garlic on top.
4. Roast at 200°C for about 20 minutes, spooning the oil from the tin over the potatoes halfway through, until the garlic is golden and the octopus tips are crisp.
5. Finish with the chopped coriander and serve with the oil from the tin spooned over.