Method

• 1.
  Preheat oven to 180°C. Place canola oil and wine in a heavy-based casserole dish with lid.
• 2.
  Bake for 10 minutes or until oil mixture is hot. Cut head from each octopus and reserve for another recipe. Discard beak. Gently add the octopus to the hot oil mixture. Cover and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes.
• 3.
  Remove from the oven and carefully transfer octopus to a deep-sided tray. (The cooking liquid can be kept and used for this recipe a few times. In fact, by the second and third time, the octopus will be a richer purple colour when it comes out of this mixture.) Cool octopus at room temperature for 15 minutes, then chill until cold.
• 4.
  Meanwhile, for the agrodolce, place sugar and 1 tbs water in a medium frypan, stirring constantly to form a paste. Place over high heat and cook for 3 minutes or until mixture becomes a light caramel colour. Carefully whisk in both vinegars (the mixture will bubble up and spatter). Bring to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes or until reduced slightly. Add garlic, pine nuts, raisins and thyme. Whisk olive oil into the agrodolce until combined.
• 5.
  Cut cold octopus into whole tentacles. Heat a barbecue grill or chargrill pan over medium-high heat. Chargrill the octopus in batches, turning and basting with half the agrodolce, for 1-2 minutes or until very golden in colour, sticky and charred.
• 6.
  Transfer octopus to a serving plate. Spoon over the remaining agrodolce and top with olives, beans, parsley and extra pine nuts to serve.