Are there two more ancient-looking sea creatures than octopus and squid? And two creatures that American home cooks are less willing to tackle?Sure, you’ll order fried calamari as an appetize… ...

Don’t cook it yourself the first time that you try it or you’ll end up ordering a hamburger. There’s a pleasing chewiness and a slight resistance when you bite into properly cooked octopus.

But trust me, friend. Octopus is as delicious as it is easy to cook. So much of it is hands off, and the only real work that needs to be done is deciding on your cooking method.

Beginners should look for frozen octopus in your grocery store or buy fresh, already prepared-to-cook octopus from the local fishmonger.

4 Best Recipes for Octopus Octopus doesn't have to be intimidating. Here are F&W's favorite ways to prepare your new favorite cephalopod.

Put octopus in water and, when it returns to boil, cover and adjust heat so water simmers gently. Cook an hour or so, until octopus is tender. Meanwhile peel potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch slices.

When celebrity chef Bobby Flay is cooking octopus, there's one especially curious method he relies on to make the cephalopod particularly tender.

Food & Wine’s Justin Chapple simple and delicious appetizer of Crispy Octopus and Potatoes is the perfect dish for your next celebration. Get the recipe at Food & Wine.

food | Cooking Sous vide school: 3 top Dallas chefs teach us how to cook chicken, steak and even octopus The sous vide method is great for cooking meats, and almost foolproof.