Octopus is a unique piece of seafood, and a number of consumers have misconceptions about how to cook octopus. Many people believe that the cephalopod only yields chewy, tasteless meat when cooked. This is in fact far from the truth, as regional cuisines from France to Vietnam will attest. It is actually quite easy to cook octopus, and you need not engage in theatrics like banging it against a rock, walking it around a black cat six times, or anything else you may have heard.

The secret of octopus is that it tastes best when it is cooked slowly, tenderizing the flesh. Octopus will always be chewy, much like other meats, but it will not be rubbery and unpalatable if it is cooked properly. Cooks can also use smaller baby octopi, which will be tender and yielding. There are a number of ways to cook octopus once you get the hang of it. You certainly do not need to beat it or peel it, unless you feel a driving urge to do so.

To begin with, choose octopus well. Most producers freeze their octopus after catching it, which does not usually cause the flesh to suffer as long as it is well handled. In fact, frozen octopus tends to be more tender. Plan on around two pounds (one kilo) of octopus for every three people, keeping in mind that the meat will shrink as it is cooked. Purchase cleaned octopus, if you can; in fact, you may have trouble finding uncleaned octopus. If you cannot find cleaned octopus, clean it by turning it inside out, scraping the innards and the hard beak out, and washing it well. Some people also have a skin reaction to raw octopus, so wearing gloves is recommended.

There are numerous uses for the surprisingly tender, flavorful cephalopod. One of the best ways to cook octopus is in stews, curries, and other dishes which require a long simmering. Octopus can be cooked in water, stock, or wine, along with an assortment of other spices. The octopus is done when a thin, sharp knife inserted into the thickest part yields easily. Especially small baby octopi will cook very quickly, while larger specimens may take several hours.

Once simmered, you can cook octopus by grilling, baking, broiling, or sautéing for different flavors and textures. Octopus can also replace other seafood in dishes like bouillabaisse and curries. Baby octopi can be cooked without a pre-simmering, and they taste especially excellent when marinated and grilled. If you are looking for octopus inspiration, Greek cuisine has a number of octopus recipes, ranging from octopus stewed in red wine to octopus fried with oil, salt, and pepper and served cold with lemon.