**Note on Octopus: we have some exceptional octopus here in the UK, but they simply don’t grow to a size that allows for the braising to produce consistently succulent meat. We choose Spanish octopus, which we buy frozen from Galicia, Spain. We find it to be of exceptional quality, readily available from Moxon’s Fishmongers.

Defrost and wash your octopus 2 hours before cooking.  Preheat the oven to 170°C. Peel and slice the onions and garlic and pick the thyme. Cut the chillies in half, lengthways. Place the oil into a heavy based casserole pan and heat gently.  Add the onions, garlic, paprika, chillies and thyme, and sweat over a low heat. Deglaze this by adding 800ml white wine. Add the octopus, passata and chicken stock. and season with salt and pepper. Cover the casserole pan with a paper lid and bring to a boil. Place into the preheated oven. After 20 minutes, remove from the oven and add the chickpeas. Mix Well! Replace the paper lid and return the pan to the oven for 1 hour.

After an hour, remove it from the oven and allow the pan to cool. Ideally allow it to stand overnight. Once the octopus is completely cool, remove it from the pan, and reserve for later.

Take the casserole pan, and strain everything through a colander to separate the onion, garlic, chillies and chickpeas from the cooking liquor. Put half of the cooking liquor off to one side, and pour the other half into a pan with the onion, garlic, chillies and chickpeas. Allow it to reduce until the chickpeas and onions have absorbed all of the liquid. Pour the onion, garlic, chillies and chickpeas into a blender and blend until a smooth hummus forms. Reserve on a tray for later.

Take the octopus, lay it on chopping board, and cut away the hood of head and remove the beak. Separate the animal into its 8 tentacles, keeping them as long and as whole as possible. Reserve these on a tray for later. 

Put the remaining half of the cooking liquor into a pan, and reduce by half. Remove from heat and pass it through a fine sieve. Store in a container. 

To Serve

Barbecue one tentacle over charcoal, or simply pan fry in olive oil. Warm up a portion of the cooking liquor, pour it into bowl and place the tentacle on top. Place a spoonful of hummus next to it. Make a well in the hummus and fill with olive oil.