Honestly I don't think I really knew how to cook octopus until last November when I was on Maui. A friend gave me a little octopus and a few small eels he captured while out diving. I braised all of them together for about half an hour and I noticed how tender the octopus turned out. Since then I learned that 1/2 hour is the key to cook the octopus. Recently I purchased some baby octopus at an Asian Market (in Cambridge, Massachusetts). These were already cleaned with the mouth pieces removed. Once home I rubbed them with some vinegar and salt and then rinse them in cold water to give them a thorough cleaning. I then put them in a pot with just enough water to submerge them and gently boil them for about 30 minutes. The result yields very tender octopus. Although don't be surprised to see that the octopus shrinks by about half after cooking. You can use these cooked and tender octopus in many dishes. Or you can just eat them with your favorite dipping sauce. They make a great snack or treat!
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