The first time I saw an octopus being prepared was in Greece and I was amazed at how much physical work was required to prepare dinner. The poor creature (which was already dead of course) was bashed against the rocks for a good hour. Talking about earning your dinner.

That amount of manual labour just to have dinner did keep me from making it in the past, but I looooove eating it so much, that I was seriously considering having The Husband do it. BUT I have discovered a recipe that is sooooooo easy you won’t have to beat the husband into beating the octopus...hmm, is there an extra step there that could be left out??

BUT I will interrupt myself yet again. Before I give you the recipe (which isn’t even from me), I have to tell you about an awesome restaurant/cafe restaurant I went to in England with aforementioned deevine aunt and uncle in Littlehampton. In case you haven’t guessed already, I had octopus and it was SUPERB.

The Portuguese Grill hasn’t been open that long and I hope they stay there for a very long time. It is Portuguese owned and run and was full of Portuguese patrons as well as us non-Portuguese patrons. Our first impression was a little “oh, is it a restaurant or a cafe, ‘cos we wanted a restaurant”, but this is very much a Portuguese style of restaurant so don’t be put off by it’s cafe non-restaurant feel as the food is superb.

My uncle had a Beef Stew which he thoroughly enjoyed and my aunt had a Pork skewer with chips and salad which she also thoroughly enjoyed. The skewer was also beautifully presented on a metal stand – see photo below.

My highlight, however, was the Octopus. Cooked incorrectly, octopus can be tough as old boots. Not that I’ve eaten a lot of old boots, but put in a pressure cooker even they will soften more than some octopus I’ve eaten. This octopus was perfectly cooked and tender and deelicious.

Not only was it beautifully cooked, it was also so tasty in it’s garlic olive oil sauce which went really well with the roasted potatoes. Just a well-balanced well-rounded meal. I am in awe. And as if all this were not enough, it's not expensive either! This restaurant has everything going for it.

We told the owner how much we had enjoyed it and he produced a bottle of homemade Cherry Liqueur and gave us 3 shots on the house. Thank you! It was also SUPER – not too alcoholy and not too sweet, just right.

Should you happen to be in the near of Littlehampton, give them a try you won’t be disappointed. Oh yes, they also have pastries (sweet and savoury) and sandwiches and other interesting Portuguese delicacies. The Nata Tarts are to die for.

Portuguese Grill
33 High Street
Littlehampton
BN17 5EG

PS: I’ll post a recipe I found on the internet after this post, so you could prepare this at home if you like.