Octopus braised in red wine with lemon and oregano

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. In a large, cast-iron, heavy-based ovenproof frying pan over medium heat, sauté the vegetables, garlic, bay leaves, olives and oregano in the olive oil for 5 minutes until fragrant and soft. Add the parsley stems, 1 teaspoon of the lemon zest and the red wine and let the mixture sizzle for a minute before adding the octopus. Stir gently to coat the octopus.
3. Cover the pan with a lid and cook over very low heat for 1 hour. Test to see whether the octopus is tender by removing one of the tentacles and slicing it with a knife. If it’s to your liking, remove the octopus and simmer the liquid a little longer to form a glossy black sauce.
4. Place the octopus on a platter and drizzle over the sauce. Scatter over the extra oregano, the parsley leaves and the lemon zest. Serve with the crusty bread to soak up the sauce.