Preparation of Risotto with Octopus and Its Cooking Water

• I love to touch and check the raw ingredient I choose for my dishes; in this case the octopuses arrived to me still alive.

  I understand this is impossible for everyone, I wanted to tell you not to worry: octopuses are without blood, so even frozen ones are fine.

  

• Clean the octopus, bring water to a boil, add a cork from a bottle and a pinch of salt but not too much, about half a teaspoon.

  As soon as it boils, dip the octopus up and down 6–7 times so the tentacles curl, then leave it in the water.

  

• Cook it for 15 minutes, that is, not completely through.

• After the time has passed, place it on a cutting board and detach the tentacles one by one with a knife; then cut each of them in half, leave the thinner end whole, and cut the thicker part into small pieces.

  Do not throw away the cooking water.

  

• In a nonstick skillet, put 2 tablespoons of oil, half a chopped onion and sauté over high heat, then add the chopped pieces of octopus except for the thinner ends, which you will set aside.

  

• Sauté the octopus over low heat for 2 minutes, then deglaze with half of the white wine.

  Let all the alcohol evaporate.

  

• Now add the tomato passata, and rinse the bottle with a ladle of the octopus cooking water, which you will then add to the sauce.

  Cook for 5–6 minutes, meanwhile…..

  

• Heat another small nonstick pan, and as soon as it’s hot place the thinner tentacle ends on it to toast them.

  Cook them 2 minutes per side, then take them out; they will be used to decorate the plating.

  

• In the smaller saucepan put one tablespoon of oil, and cut the other half of the onion into very small pieces.

  Let it sauté for 2 minutes.

  

• Add the Carnaroli rice and stir, toast it and you will see it become almost translucent.

  

• Then deglaze with the remaining white wine.

  Let the wine evaporate.

  

• Meanwhile, put back on the heat the large pan where you cooked the octopus in the sauce, and transfer all the rice into it.

  .

  

• To continue cooking you must add liquid; add the octopus cooking water so the grains will take on all its flavor. Season with salt and pepper according to your taste, and let it cook until the rice is done.

• When the risotto is cooked, wait 5 minutes before serving so it can rest.

  Place the toasted small tentacles on top.

  Here is the Risotto with octopus and its cooking water.

  

• Clean the octopus and fill the Thermomix bowl with 500 g of water (about 2 cups), insert the octopus and cook for 30 minutes at Varoma, speed spoon setting.

  

• At the end of cooking, remove the octopus and keep the cooking liquid in a bowl.

  Rinse the bowl and dry it.

• As soon as it has cooled, place it on a cutting board and detach the tentacles one by one with a knife; then cut each of them in half, leave the thinner end whole, and cut the thicker part into small pieces.

  

• Put half an onion in the bowl and chop for 7 sec, speed 7, then scrape down with the spatula, and add 30 g (about 2 tbsp) of EVO oil; sauté for 3 minutes at 230°F speed 1.

• Then add the pieces of octopus except for the thinner ends, which you will set aside.

  Sauté for 2 minutes at 212°F speed spoon, then deglaze with half of the wine for 1 minute at 212°F speed teaspoon without the measuring cup.

  

• Now add the tomato passata, rinse the bottle with a ladle of octopus cooking water and add it to the sauce, and a pinch of salt and pepper.

  Cook for 6 minutes at 212°F speed teaspoon.

• Heat a small nonstick pan and, as soon as it’s hot, place the thinner tentacle ends on it to toast them.

  Cook them 2 minutes per side, then take them out; they will be used to decorate the plating.

  

• At this point prepare the risotto: cut half an onion into large pieces and put it in the bowl and chop for 7 sec, speed 7, then scrape down with the spatula, and add 30 g (about 2 tbsp) of EVO oil; sauté for 3 minutes at 230°F speed 1.

  

• Add the Carnaroli rice and toast it for 2 minutes at 212°F speed 1 and you will see it become almost translucent.

• Then deglaze with the remaining white wine and run for 1 minute at 212°F speed 1 without the measuring cup.

  

• Pour into the bowl 350 g (about 1 1/2 cups) of octopus cooking water and a pinch of salt and pepper — not much because the octopus is flavorful on its own — and cook for the time indicated on the rice package, minus 2 minutes, at 212°F speed 1.

• When you reach 2 minutes remaining, pour in the sauce you prepared earlier and finish cooking for the remaining 2 minutes at 212°F speed 1.

• Plate the risotto and place the small toasted tentacles on top.

  Here is the Risotto with octopus and its cooking water, Thermomix version.