When you catch an octopus, the ideal thing to do would be to keep it on ice until you get home, but then you’re going to want to rinse it off, using salt to counteract the slime.

Then lay it out on a cutting board and position your knife blade directly under the eyes, making sure it’s a level cut. Give it a quick slice, remove the head from the tentacles, then take the tentacles and push out the ink sack with your thumb from the bottom, pushing it out the top.

To remove the insides from the head, try to flip the head inside out and it’s a lot easier to pull things out as a whole. Cut right above eyes, don’t wanna eat those. Then the skin on the head can be easily removed. Look for an opening as if it were a new sticker you were trying to peel off it’s wrapper. Do it slowly and it should all come off first try and in one piece. Then rinse it all.

Once it’s rinsed, I, personally, skin them, as I’ve found that leaving their outermost layer brings about a strong ocean taste when cooked.

The process can be tricky and time consuming, but it’s ultimately worth it I’d say.

Once skinned, (food mallet pounding is optional, I usually don’t see a need to) rinse once again, then you’re going to let it marinade/soak in either whole milk or pineapple juice.

I know it seems a little strange but the enzymes in either of those break down the connective tissue in the octopus, tenderizing it.

Once you’ve let it sit and soak up the liquid for at least a few hours, take it out, rinse liquids off, and prepare it however you like.

Now, there are a few preferred methods I use to cook He’e. First and main one would be to let it boil (low boil) for about 45 minutes. Then take it out, cutting legs into individual pieces, and fry it up on a regular frying pan with a little butter. Wanna give it a good sear/browning then it’s fully good to go.

The other method is to steam it, though for my usual customers, a steamer is a luxury hotels and vacation rentals simply don’t offer.

And last but not least, you can throw it right on the grill and let it cook for 20-30 minutes, keeping an eye on it. Low-Medium heat, not your usual sear temperature.

Note: I’ve let them soak in milk for days at a time and it only tenderizes it more, especially the bigger ones; wouldn’t recommend more than 5 days though.

Ingredients- Fresh caught lobster, 1/2 cup butter, 1 cup parmesan cheese, 2 cups heavy cream, 1 tsp garlic powder, salt/pepper, and your choice of pasta (fettuccine or linguine recommended)

1. Bring water in a pot to a boil, then insert lobster(s)

2. While your lobster is cooking, start making the pasta sauce by bringing a pan to medium heat, and then throwing in your butter, cheese, and heavy cream until they melt. Stir while its melting for ideal consistency.

3. When lobsters are done cooking (7-10 min. or when a lot of substance appears on top of water) take them out and set them aside.

4. With a fresh pot, boil some water and put your pasta in. Remember to stir the sauce every so often so the consistency stays to your liking.

5. Remove the tail(s) and legs of your cooked lobster(s). TAKE YOUR TIME extracting the leg meat, and remember to remove the poop sack from the lobster tail before cutting it up. If you do not know how, you can simply ask your guide, or call up the number at the bottom of the screen. You can also look this step up for a more visual guide. Essentially, once its out of the shell, you’ll want to cut it very shallowly, vertically right down the middle. The poop sack will be revealed, and extraction is simple once revealed fully. Make sure to have a clean bowl or plate to put your cooked and extracted lobster parts.

6. At this point, your sauce and pasta are probably nearly done, so were going to cut up the lobster parts you have extracted so that no piece exceeds about 1/4-1/3 inch.

7. Once you’ve chopped up your lobster, the final step is to drain your pasta, then combine the three aspects of this dish, and ENJOY!!