Toast with stewed octopus

 What you need:

• 1/2 kg octopus, cleaned
• 1 lemon, zest and juice only
• 2 garlic cloves, bashed
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1/2 dried red chilli pepper
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, thickly sliced
• 1 or 2 bay leaves
• 180ml red wine
• 3 ripe tomatoes, cut in cubes
• 2 tbsp good quality tomato puree
• 3 tbsp fresh flatleaf parsley, chopped
• bread to serve

How to prepare it:

1. Clean the octopus and bash it with a meat hammer, to tenderise the octopus.
2. Rinse well under cold water and pat dry. 
3. Cook a pan of water and drop the (parts) of the the ocopus in for 10 seconds. Repeat 3 or 4 times. Let it cool down a bit.
4. Cut the meat in 4-5cm pieces and place the octopus into a freezer bag with the lemon zest, juice, garlic and thyme and mix until well combined. Chill in the fridge to marinate for one hour.
5. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan, add the onions, red chilli and fry for five minutes, or until softened.
6. Stir in the marinated octopus and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the bay leaves and red wine. Bring to the boil and cook until the volume of wine has reduced by half.
7. Add the tomatoes, tomatoe puree and return to a simmer, then cook gently for 1-1½ hours. The ocotpus is finished when very tender. 
8. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. 
9. Stir in the parsley.