Braising the Octopus:

Cup of Yum
1. In a large heavy pot (such as a cast iron Dutch oven), place octopus, wine, peppercorns, lemon cut in half, salt, bay leaves, and garlic. Add water until octopus is covered with water by 1" (or try, it will float). Cover pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
2. Simmer octopus until tender and is easily pierced with a fork or knife. (Before it's tender, the octopus will feel somewhat rubbery, but when it's tender the knife or fork will slide in easily.) Cook time will depend on the size of your octopus. Smaller octopus may be ready in about 30 minutes, and larger could take about an hour.Remove the octopus from the braising liquid as soon as it's tender. Overcooked octopus is rubbery. Refrigerate octopus if not cooking immediately. Make Ahead Tip: If desired, you can stop at this point and finish cooking later. Make up to one day ahead. Allow the braising liquid to come to room temperature, and add the octopus back to the liquid. Store in the fridge until proceeding to the next step.

Curl the Octopus Tentacles (Optional):

1. Bring a small pot of water to a simmer. Using tongs, dip the octopus tentacles into the hot water for a few seconds until they begin to curl.If working with multiple octopus, set each octopus aside on a plate after dipping in water.

Pan-Sear the Octopus

1. In a heavy pan, heat olive oil on medium high heat until oil ripples. Sear octopus about 2-3 minutes per side. Serve with lemon or orange wedges.