Cooking octopus might seem intimidating to the under-confident chef but it isn’t as complicated as you might think. Octopus flesh is far tougher than the flesh of other cephalopods like squid or cuttlefish so chefs worldwide have come up with different strategies for tenderising the flesh. The best way to prepare is to first simmer it in salted water until tender. Judge the tenderness of the octopus by pushing a knife into one of the tentacles; if it easily pushes into the thickest part of the flesh, it’s cooked.
Don’t discard the soup though, it works better that any blue pills out there! Octopus has a very delicate flavour and dressing it with some good olive oil and seasoning it well is often enough. Or you can try a local recipe of sauteing with onions and a dash of soy sauce, and eat it with a steaming hot plate of ugali.😋