Thaw the octopus if frozen in the refrigerator and rinse thoroughly
Bring the water and red wine to a boil with bay leaves and salt
Add the octopus to the pot, reduce the heat and simmer for two hours or until tender.
Remove the octopus from the liquid.
Chill the octopus in the refrigerator overnight.
Separate the tentacles from the body
In a hot skillet sear the octopus in olive oil for 3-5 minutes.
Toss in chopped garlic in the last 30 seconds of cooking.
Re-season with salt and pepper and squeeze some fresh lemon juice over.