Ask Evan: Where Can I Find Fresh Octopus and How Should I Cook It?

Do you have a cooking question you need answered? Write to me. Whenever I get a question from a Good Food listener I answer it right here on the Good Food Blog. You can email me a question to goodfood@kcrw.com, leave one on Facebook or add one in the comments section here. This week’s question came from Alyson:

I had amazing braised octopus at Superba Snack Bar last weekend and I’m inspired. Any ideas on where I can find fresh octopus rather than frozen and does it matter? Any favorite octopus recipes? I’m equal parts excited and scared to try this out. Thanks a million!

If you are close enough to Koreatown, or if you don’t mind driving, I suggest trying one of the grocery stores there. I like Galleria Market and Assi. They have a large selection of fish and seafood and usually will have both fresh and frozen available. Assi sometimes has live octopi in tanks. Assi is also in Irvine.

If you are on the Westside, ask at Santa Monica Seafood for fresh octopus. I recommend making a recipe at least once from fresh octopus. Then you can decide if you want to use fresh or frozen the next time.

Magda, who writes the blog My Little Expat Kitchen, has one of the most thorough explanations (with photos) of how to clean and properly cook a fresh octopus. Read through it once before you go buy your beast.