Prep time: 20 mins /Cook time: 40 mins to an hour /Serves: 4

 Ingredients:

• 3 to 4 kg octopus, cleaned
• 1 to 2 bottles dry red wine
• 2 shallots, halved
• The peel of two lemons
• 1 garlic bulb, halved
• 1 sprig bay leaves
• 20ml whole black peppercorns
• Olive oil
• 2 red chillies, seeded and finely chopped
• 15ml black olives, pitted and finely chopped
• 15ml fresh dill, finely chopped
• 15ml fresh fennel fronds, finely chopped
• 15ml fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 15ml lemon zest, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper

 Method:

 Add the cleaned octopus to a large pot and half cover with red wine. Add in the aromatics – shallot, lemon peel, garlic, bay leaves and black peppercorns – and set over high heat to come to the boil. Cook the octopus for 40 minutes to an hour or until it is easily pierced with a knife. Remove the octopus from the wine and leave to cool slightly before cutting into large pieces and tossing in a little olive oil. Grill the octopus tentacles over hot coals or in a skillet, squeezing over a little lemon juice. The edges should get slightly blackened and crispy. Cut the octopus into bite-sized pieces.

 In a bowl, combine the garlic, red chilli, olives, dill, fennel, parsley, lemon zest and juice with 150ml olive oil. Season to taste and add the octopus, tossing to coat in the marinade. Cover the bowl and leave to sit at room temperature for an hour or refrigerated overnight. Serve the marinated octopus with lemon, crusty bread and glasses of chilled Leopard’s Leap Sauvignon Blanc.