Many home cooks, even those who feel relatively comfortable working with seafood, feel intimidated by cephalopods like octopus. While we know they look and taste beautiful, their strange body shape and texture can be off-putting if you don’t know how to best utilise it.
We’ve teamed up with Sydney Seafood School to pull together the ultimate guide to octopus: from buying, to preparing, to cooking.
ALL ABOUT OCCY 
Available wild-caught, a range of octopus species are found right around the Australian coast, from shallow tidal pools, to depths of over 3000m (though they're generally caught closer inshore, among seagrass and on muddy, sandy or reef bottoms).
They are mostly solitary, living in holes, under rocks, or burrowing into the sea bottom. They are mainly caught off south-eastern Australia (from southern Queensland to the Great Australian Bight,) often as bycatch, using trawls, dredges, pots and nets. One species is trapped and taken as bycatch of the WA Rock Lobster fishery (as they are a major predator of Rock Lobsters).
They're generally medium-priced, and are available year-round.
BUYING
When purchasing fresh whole octopus, look out for intact, bright skin, intact head and arms, and a pleasant fresh sea smell.
Octopus come in a number of different sizes, ranging from baby octopus no bigger than your palm, to enormous specimens that are a struggle to even pick up. Ask your fishmonger about which size and species will suit your needs best.
To store octopus, wrap it in plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months (below 18 degrees Celsius).
PREPARING
Fishmongers will generally clean and tenderise octopus for you, but if you need (or would like) to do it yourself, here are the steps:
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Lay the octopus flat on a chopping board.
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Slice either side of the eyes and discard them.
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Push the beak (mouth) out from between the arms.
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Remove and discard the head contents (try not to break the ink sac, as the ink does stain). 
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Rinse the head or wipe clean with a clean cloth.
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The skin can be peeled off or left on; it will turn a dark purple as it cooks.
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Cut the head and legs into suitable pieces, depending on the size of the octopus, and the cooking method you're planning on using.
Watch a video of this process .
COOKING
In general, octopus works super well with flavours like capsicum, chilli, fresh herbs (such as marjoram, mint, oregano, parsley), garlic, green onions, lemon, lime, olive oil, and tomato.
Cephalopods require either very quick cooking over a high heat, or very long cooking over a low heat – anything in between renders them tough. To tenderise your octopus before char-grilling or other quick cooking methods, place it in a bowl and cover with boiling water, allow to stand for 30 seconds to 1 minute (depending on the size of the octopus) then drain and rinse it under cold water.
Deep-frying, when done properly, is a great way to cook octopus. It’s fast, it quickly seals the food’s surface, locking in flavour and moisture, and it adds appealing crunch, colour, and aroma. Salt and pepper squid is a popular restaurant menu item, that you can make even more delicious and visually appealing by using Octopus, in this recipe for Deep-Fried Salt & Pepper Octopus!
If you choose low and slow, braising in liquid is a great way to make sure octopus stays tender, like in this recipe for Braised Octopus with Tomato and Olives. When it’s done, a wooden skewer should pierce it easily.
Keen to learn more? Octopus features in one of Sydney Seafood School's upcoming cooking classes. Book into to learn how to prepare it with the experts!