Submerge entire octopus in the boiling water. Bring water back to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until octopus is fork-tender, 45 to 60 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for 30 minutes. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate. Grill octopus until charred on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
If you are cooking for a crowd, I recommend cooking 1 pound of octopus per person. If you like octopus and are curious to try and make it yourself, you should definitely try this grilling recipe. Or I also have an easy pesto shrimp skewers recipe, also made on the grill, great for a seafood feast. Do you love seafood?
This can be accomplished by cooking the octopus in a copper pot or by throwing a few clean copper pennies in the broth. I have added pennies when I braised my octopus for fun and have used a copper pot to curl the tentacles of the octopus.
When the octopus is done tenderizing, either by braising or cooking sous vide, the skin will be slimy and will easily come off when you touch it. Some cooks advocate removing the gelatinous skin completely, others are adamant that the gel is flavorful and should remain on.