Octopus on risotto alla milanese with gremolata

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 kg squid(s) (pulpo), frozen or fresh
• 400 g risotto rice
• 100 g Parmesan
• 300 ml white wine
• 3 shallots
• 1 onion(s)
• 6 cloves garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• peppercorns
• 1 shot of white wine vinegar
• 100 g butter
• 1 bunch of parsley
• Lemon zest
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• rosemary
• Thyme
• oregano
• 3 lemons, untreated, zest

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Rest time approx. 12 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes; Total time approx. 14 hours 10 minutes

amazingly simple, delicious, exotic

It’s best to prepare the octopus the day before. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a halved, washed onion, bay leaf, peppercorns, salt, 100 ml of white wine, and white wine vinegar, and bring to a boil for a few minutes. Clean the octopus and, using a sharp knife, remove the beak at the base of the head. Reduce the water to low. Add the octopus and simmer at this temperature for 1-2 hours, depending on its thickness. It should be as tender as a cooked, waxy potato. Pierce with a fork. Cut into small pieces. Leave the arms slightly larger for decoration. Later, add the octopus pieces directly to the finished risotto or, for a roasted flavor, fry them in a pan with a little garlic beforehand. Save the liquid as the base for the risotto. For the gremolata, finely chop the parsley and the remaining garlic. Add the lemon zest and mix with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. If you have any leftover octopus, it also tastes wonderful as a cold salad mixed with the gremolata. Heat the octopus stock in a saucepan or in the microwave. Finely dice the shallots and 3 cloves of garlic and lightly sauté with 2/3 of the butter, taking care not to brown them. Add the rice, increase the heat slightly, and cook until translucent, stirring constantly. Add a bay leaf and salt. Deglaze with 200 ml of white wine and let the alcohol evaporate. When the liquid is almost gone, add more stock and reduce. Stir constantly and repeat the process until the liquid has completely evaporated and the risotto is cooked. Add the herbs and a little olive oil. Stir in the remaining butter and Parmesan cheese. Depending on your taste, stir the octopus pieces into the risotto or serve them on top.