Recipe - Arancini with octopus and potatoes

Introduction to the recipe

Octopus and potatoes are a pairing that can't go wrong. If you need proof, just think about the classic octopus and potato salad that is popular in many parts of Italy. In transforming this dish into an arancino, we wanted to give it an extra boost of flavour and colour, so we added some cherry tomatoes, tossed into the pan with the other ingredients to create a filling that is truly something special.

To ensure that the octopus remains tender after cooking, the simplest and quickest method is to immerse it in cold water, cook it for a good long time, then let it cool in the water it cooked in. The result will be perfect!

Gourmet

Medium

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 fish 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:

600 gr of octopus
300 gr of potatoes
100 gr of cherry tomatoes
1 clove of garlic
fresh parsley
200 ml of white wine
some bay leaves
a few juniper berries
extra virgin olive oil
salt, black pepper

Preparation of rice and filling

The octopus

Put the whole octopus in a pot with the white wine, bay leaves and juniper berries and cover with water
Cook over low heat for about an hour (do not salt), then remove from the heat and let it cool completely in the water it cooked in

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

Meanwhile, let the potatoes cook in salted water for about 40 minutes. Allow them to cool, then peel them and chop them into small cubes
Remove the skin and any remaining internal organs from inside the head of the octopus
Cut the octopus into small pieces
Quarter the tomatoes
Use the flat of a knife blade to crush the garlic, then sauté it in a pan with 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive until it begins to turn golden
Add the octopus, sauté it in the oil so that it takes on the flavour of the garlic, then add the potatoes and the cherry tomatoes
Let everything cook for about ten minutes, adding salt and pepper to taste
Remove the pan from the heat and, as a finishing touch, toss in some finely chopped fresh parsley. Then let it cool

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.