Buying and Preparing Octopus

Most octopi are sold dressed and ready to use, but whole octopi are also available. Octopus is poached in a flavored cooking liquid until tender. Once poached, the skin of the octopus and the suckers may be removed or not, as desired. When using octopus in a terrine, it is useful to retain the skin; it contains gelatin that helps hold the terrine together. For a seafood salad, however, where the gelatin is unnecessary, skinning may be desirable. Note that the skin contributes a lovely purple color to the dish.