Fishermen regularly catch octopus in the waters around Britain, but few of us muster the courage to buy it from our fishmonger, blaming previous rubbery encounters or simply not knowing what to do with it. It’s a shame, because it’s cheap and, when cooked properly, can be beautifully tender and tasty. I’ve started to see more of it on restaurant menus, which is great, but how about getting to grips with it in your own kitchen?

For all its suckers, slime and tentacles, preparing octopus is actually quite straightforward. First, turn the body inside out and pull away the entrails and bone-like strips. Locate the stomach sac, which is about the size of an avocado stone, and cut it away. Discard these bits, then turn the octopus right-side out. Find the beak, which nestles in the middle of the tentacles. Push it out with your finger, and cut out the soft flesh that surrounds it. Finally, give the octopus a good rinse under a cold running tap.

Now you’re ready for the important bit. Octopus needs a pre-tenderising stage, unlike baby squid which can be cooked directly. You’ll come across all sorts of opinions on the best way to do this. In Greece you’ll see octopus being bashed against the rocks, while Italians will tell you to poach it in boiling water with a cork. The French like to braise it in a low oven, and the Spanish poach it in red wine. Some people find freezing it overnight does the trick.

As for me, I like to poach it gently in a well-flavoured vegetable stock called a nage. Not only is this a reliable method, it adds subtle flavour to the succulent white flesh, and gets it ready for frying, barbecuing or adding to pasta sauces and salads. I also like to cook octopus slowly on the hob or in a low oven. This way you can leave it to tenderise and cook it as part of a finished dish at the same time. So be brave and ask your fishmonger to order it. He should be happy to do this if you give him a few days’ notice.

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