Polvo à Lagareiro: Portuguese Octopus

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1. 1Step 1: Preheat an oven to 400°F/ 200°C.
2. 2Step 2: Clean the octopus by cutting off the small beak.
3. 3Step 3: Generously drizzle the bottom of a rectangular baking dish with olive oil. Lay the octopus on top of the oil. Sprinkle the peppercorns and lay the bay leaves on top of the octopus. Place the quartered onion around the octopus and drizzle the top of the onions in olive oil.
4. 4Step 4: Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and place in the oven for 90 minutes or until tender. You'll know that the octopus is done by inserting a knife into the tentacles. There should be little or no resistance from the octopus.
5. 5Step 5: About 50 minutes after the octopus has started cooking, soak the potatoes in a bowl of cold water. Remove the potatoes from the water and into a separate baking dish. Sprinkle the potatoes with salt until they're liberally covered.
6. 6Step 6: 30 minutes before the octopus finishes cooking, place the baking dish with the potatoes on a separate rack in the oven.
7. 7Step 7: Five minutes before the octopus has finished cooking, pour 3/4 of a cup of the olive oil into a small saucepan and heat on medium. Once the oil is heated, add the garlic cloves. Cook the garlic until brown. Remove the pan from the heat so that the garlic doesn't burn.
8. 8Step 8: Smash the potatoes with either your hand or with the wide side of a knife. Place the smashed potatoes on a serving plate. Cut the tentacles off the octopus and lay the tentacles over the potatoes. Pour the hot garlic oil, including the garlic cloves, over the octopus. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve.