Octopus substitutes

Braise the cleaned bodies for 20 to 30 minutes until a knife slips in easily, then cut into pieces and char hard in a very hot pan or on the grill.

Best for

grilled octopus, pulpo a la gallega, Greek and Spanish small plates, stews

The closest cephalopod to octopus in body: thick, white and satisfying to chew, and it takes a char beautifully. It is sweeter and less mineral than octopus, and the flesh is smoother without the crisped skin and suckers that give pulpo its character. Cook it noticeably less than octopus, since it tenderizes much faster.

Halve large tubes lengthwise, score the inside in a diamond pattern, oil well, and grill over high heat for about 2 minutes a side. Or braise for 40 minutes in a stew.

Best for

grilled seafood plates, salads, stews, Korean and Japanese dishes

The relative you can actually buy anywhere. It is thinner and springier rather than dense and meaty, so a plate of grilled squid tastes similar but eats considerably lighter, and it lacks the deep mineral sweetness of octopus. Respect the timing: 2 minutes or 40 minutes, never in between.

Pat bone dry, sear in a smoking-hot pan for 90 seconds a side until deeply browned, and dress with olive oil, smoked paprika and lemon.

Best for

pulpo a la gallega, tapas, Greek small plates, salads

This is the swap for when the point of the dish is a sweet, browned, satisfying bite with paprika and good oil. Scallops deliver that, and they are far softer and much sweeter than octopus, so the plate reads as delicate rather than robust. Lean hard on smoked paprika, olive oil, salt and lemon and it still tastes Galician.

Cut into 1 ½-inch chunks and add in the last 10 minutes of a braise or stew, so it sets without breaking apart.

Best for

Greek stifado, Spanish stews, tomato braises, Korean stir-fried dishes

Dense and firm enough to hold its shape in sauce, which most fish cannot do, so it keeps a stew feeling substantial. What it does not have is chew, since it eventually flakes rather than resisting the teeth, and its flavor leans sweet and shrimp-like rather than mineral. Cut the pieces larger than seems necessary.

Cut into 1 ½-inch pieces and braise from the start, for 30 to 40 minutes, in the same onion, paprika, wine and tomato base.

Best for

paprika and onion braises, stifado-style stews, rice dishes, budget cooking

Surprisingly useful in any octopus dish where the sauce is the real point, because thigh meat is meaty, forgiving and satisfying in the same way. It is obviously not seafood, so the dish loses its marine character entirely; add a strip of kombu or a teaspoon of fish sauce to the pot and it keeps a hint of the sea.

Halve the stems lengthwise, score the cut face in a diamond pattern, brush with olive oil and smoked paprika, and grill or pan-char until well browned.

Best for

vegan grilled octopus, shellfish allergy versions, tapas, salads

The vegan version people actually make, and the chew is real: firm, slightly springy, nothing like a soft mushroom. What is missing is the sea, so brush with a little kelp powder or crumbled nori along with the paprika, and salt well. Scoring matters, because it is what gives the charred, sucker-like surface.