Recipe - 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

Important

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

1 - Fill the base of the Arancinotto with rice and use a spoon to pack it down firmly.

2 - Put the lid on the base and insert the plunger as far as it will go.

3 - Remove the plunger and spoon your filling into the central hole, packing it in with a teaspoon to ensure there is a generous amount.

4 - Cover the top with a thin layer of rice and press it down using the other end of the plunger.

5 - Take the cover back off of the Arancinotto and gently remove your arancino.

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.