Arancini Stocco (stockfish) “alla ghiotta”

Introduction to the recipe
Stocco (stockfish) “alla ghiotta”, or stoccu ’a ghiotta (in local dialect), is a traditional dish from the province of Messina, one that is very rich and savoury. Although it is made using fresh codfish, stockfish differs from salt cod in that it is preserved not by salting but by drying, so it needs to be rehydrated before cooking.
Sicilian
Hard
160 grams
Fish
Ingredients for about 12 arancini
For rice:
- 500 grams of rice ("Roma" and "Originario" rices, mixed in equal doses)
- 1.1 liter of vegetable stock
- 2 bags of saffron
- 10 grams of salt
- 60-100 grams of butter
For the finish:
- 100 gr of flour
- 180 ml of water
- 2 eggs
- 150 gr of bread crumbs
For the filling:
-
400 gr of dried cod
- 300 gr of potatoes
- 2 coasts of celery
- half onion
- 600 gr of pitted green olives in brine
- 30 gr of pine nuts
- 30 g of raisins
- 2 large and ripe tomatoes
- 200 ml of tomato sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons of pickled
- capers
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt, black pepper
Preparation of rice and filling

Two days before cooking it, put the stockfish to soak in cold water and keep it in the refrigerator, changing the water 2-3 times a day
Rice
How to prepare the rice:
- In a saucepan, put the broth, the butter, the saffron and the salt
- When the stock is boiling, add the rice and mix well
- Cover and cook over low heat until the rice absorbs all the broth and is cooked but al dente
- When cooked, stir, pour the rice on a cold surface and spread evenly to allow rapid cooling
- When the rice is cool down, it is ready to prepare the arancini
It is important to let the rice dry well during cooking. It should not be too hot or too wet, or it could stick to the mold.
For more informations about rice, Click here.
The filling
- Chop the tomatoes into small chunks
- Put the raisins to soak in cold water
- Slice the olives into rounds
- Mince the onion and slice the celery into thin slivers
- In 4-5 tablespoons of olive oil, over low heat, sauté the onions until translucent and the celery until soft
- Place the fish in the pan, skin down
- After a few minutes, add the tomatoes, tomato purée, soaked raisins, olives, capers and pine nuts
- Add the bay leaves, and salt and pepper to taste
- Add a cup of water, cover and simmer for 40 minutes
- Meanwhile, peel the potatoes, dice them and rinse well
- Add the potatoes to the fish, put the cover back in place and simmer for a further 30-40 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked through and the sauce has reduced
- Let it cool, then remove the chunks of stockfish and chop them into smaller pieces, removing the skin and any bones
- Cut up any larger chunks of potato as well, then mix everything back together thoroughly
How to shape the arancini
How to frying the arancini

The finishing touch
Put the arancini in the batter and in the bread crumbs as follows:
- In a bowl, place the flour
- Add the egg and water and beat well with whips
- When the batter is smooth and dense, pass the arancini
- Immediately after having passed them in the batter, pass the arancini in bread crumbs

Frying
- Fry in plenty of oil until golden brown, to ensure your arancini fry up perfectly, use one of the following oils: peanut oil, olive oil, or palm oil.
- Heat the oil to the ideal temperature, 190°C, either in a frying pan or by setting the temperature on your deep fryer.
- If using a pan, you can make sure that the oil has reached the proper temperature by dropping in a bread crumb. If it sizzles, then the oil is ready.
- Immerse the arancini gently in the oil, only a few at a time, so as to prevent the temperature of the oil from falling too low.
- When they are done, place the arancini on absorbent paper, then serve.
- Serve the arancini with sauce on the side.
For more information about Finishing and Frying, Click here.
Enjoy your arancini!
Varation
Stockfish is not available everywhere.
As an alternative, you can use salt cod, but make sure you desalt it over the course of a couple of days before using.
Bonus idea
For arancini with a truly rich flavour, once you have prepared the filling, purée a small amount of the cooked sauce without the fish and add that to the rice.

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- Tags: Fish Sicilian recipes
- Arancinotto Staff