Braised pickled baby octopus with red wine and oregano

1 kg baby octopus
2 punnets cherry tomatoes
100 ml extra virgin olive oil
10 shallots, peeled and thickly sliced
6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
3 red chillies, split but with seeds in
400 ml red wine
2 tablespoons dried oregano
3 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
600 ml water
2 tablespoons tomato paste
80 ml sherry vinegar, or other wine vinegar
1 heaped tablespoon raw sugar
Salt and pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Blanch the octopus for 1 minute, then drain and set aside.
To remove the skins from the cherry tomatoes, bring another pot of water to the boil. Blanch the tomatoes for 1 minute. Drain, peel the skins and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large heavy-based pan over medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic and chilli. Cook for about 5 minutes until the shallots are soft and caramelised, stirring often.

Add the wine, oregano, thyme, bay leaves, coriander seeds, water and tomato paste. Bring to a simmer over a low heat, then add the octopus and braise for 30 minutes. Stir the tomatoes and vinegar into the pot and cook for a further 15 minutes. Stir the sugar through and check seasoning.

Serve straight away or allow to cool to room temperature. If making ahead of time, place in a jar and keep in the fridge for up to a week.