Recipe Salmon and capers stuffed arancini

[JAS_OH1]

Arancini - Wikipedia
Arancini derives from the Sicilian plural diminutive of aranciu ('orange'), from their shape and colour which, after cooking, is reminiscent of an orange.[3]

Arancini balls are an Italian snack food that vary from region to region with the fillings. Basically it is a stuffed risotto ball that is breaded and deep fried, often stuffed simply with just mozzarella cheese and herbs.

I have only made arancini balls once before (Recipe - Lamb sausage, goat cheese, and herb risotto balls (arancini)) and that was just a few months ago. I was so enamored of them I thought to try them again with a different type of filling. These had a much different flavor profile but they were equally delicious! I prepared the risotto al dente with wine, lemon, caper brine, and Parmesan cheese, which gave the bites a nice chew, and the moist, flaky salmon mixed with the creamy goat cheese, herbs, and lemon butter fried capers gave them a bright and briny punch of flavor.

Notes:
Not much salt will be needed for this recipe, as the capers and brine used throughout adds a significant amount of salt. You will still need to adjust this by taste, as different brands of capers are bound to have a different sodium level. I did not have to add salt except a sprinkle in the breading mixture.

Additionally, the step where the capers are fried in the liquid leftover from cooking the salmon is optional, although I thought it gave the filling an additional dimension of flavor. It was suggested to me by another CB forum member The Late Night Gourmet to use some of the fried/toasted capers as a garnish, but I ended up not having enough to do that because I kept tasting them (okay I kept eating them, LOL). Those things were so good!

Because this recipe has so many steps, it might be a good idea to do some of the steps a day in advance, such as cooking the salmon, making the filling, and making the dipping sauce. You could even prepare the unbreaded arancini balls the day before and bread them the day you will be frying them. I think that the breading might get too soft if they were breaded a day in advance of cooking.

Yields approximately 16-19 arancini balls
Preparation time: approximately 3 hours (some of this will be down time while items are chilling in between various steps)

Filling ingredients:
(For cooking the salmon)
1/2 lb of raw skinless boneless salmon filet (you will be cooking the salmon before making the filling)
1 TBSP caper brine
3 TBSP butter (I used Kerry Gold Irish butter)
1 TBSP lemon juice
A dash of ground black pepper
Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

(For the filling)
1/2 lb cooked salmon filet
2 TBSP finely chopped spring onion
1 TBPS finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh dill
4-5 spears of thinly sliced and diced raw asparagus
1/4 tsp lemon zest
3 oz crumbled goat cheese
2 TBPS sauteed and toasted capers
A pinch of ground black pepper

Ingredients for fried and toasted capers:
3 TBSP drained capers
1 TBSP reserved leftover liquid from cooking the salmon

Ingredients for risotto:
2.5 cups chicken stock/broth
1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
2 TBSP reserved juices from cooking salmon
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tsp caper brine
3/4 cup grated parmesan
A pinch of ground black pepper

Ingredients for breading:
1/2 cup all purpose (AP) flour
2 eggs
2 tsp water
1 tsp caper brine
1 and 1/2 cup panko and regular bread crumbs mixed (equal portions)
Sprinkle of salt and pepper
Oil for frying (I used peanut oil, but canola or vegetable oil will work fine)

Ingredients for dipping sauce:
1 cup of heavy cream
1TBPS caper brine
1 tsp lemon juice
4 cloves of smashed roasted garlic

Step 1
Drizzle some EVOO in a small baking dish and place the raw salmon filet in. Melt the butter in a small microwaveable bowl. Add the caper brine, lemon juice, and pepper with the melted butter and pour over the salmon. Flip the salmon over several times to thoroughly coat the fish with the mixture.

Bake at 225F (I used my countertop toaster oven) for approximately 12-15 minutes or until the salmon is just under (depends on the thickness of the filet). The goal is to make sure the fish doesn't dry out too much in the filling while the arancini are frying. Place the salmon in a medium sized bowl and place in the refrigerator uncovered to cool. Drain the leftover liquid the salmon was cooked in into a small bowl.

Step 2 (optional)
In a large skillet (the pan you will be cooking the risotto in), add 1 TBSP of the salmon liquid and 3 TBSP of caper berries. Fry on medium heat until the capers are lightly browned and most of the liquid in the pan is gone.

Carefully remove the capers (leaving any liquid in the pan) and place the capers on a sheet of parchment paper. Do not wash or rinse the pan. Place the capers in the oven (or toaster oven) at 200F for approximately 10 minutes or until the capers look a little dry. Set aside.

Step 3
Bring the chicken stock/broth to a boil in a separate medium sized sauce pan, then turn down to simmer. Using the same pan that the capers were fried in, put the olive oil and 2 TBSP of the reserved liquid from cooking the salmon on medium heat and stir in the arborio rice, coating the rice thoroughly. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring a few times. Add the wine into the arborio rice pan and cook until nearly absorbed. Begin adding chicken broth/stock, 1 ladle at a time, stirring frequently but not constantly. It will take approximately 22-25 minutes to cook the rice to al dente. Stir in the lemon juice, caper brine, and parmesan cheese. Add pepper to taste and a touch more caper brine if salt is needed. Spread the risotto into a thin layer on a parchment lined tray or baking sheet until slightly cooled. Place uncovered in the refrigerator for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Step 4
While the risotto is cooling, remove the bowl with the cooked salmon from the refrigerator. Gently chunk the salmon with a fork and add the spring onion, parsley, dill, crumbled goat cheese, lemon zest, asparagus, toasted capers, and black pepper. Do not overmix. Put the mixture in the refrigerator to cool.

Step 5
Set up a rolling station for the arancini with a parchment paper lined baking sheet on one side, the salmon mixture in the middle, and the cooled risotto on the other side. Place a small amount of risotto in the palm of your handand spread it in a concave fashion, then add a small amount of the salmon mixture inside and encapsulate tightly (I wore food prep gloves to make it less messy).

Place the balls on the parchment paper sheet and put back in the refrigerator to cool for at least 20 minutes.

Step 6

Make the dipping sauce by adding the heavy cream, crushed roasted garlic, caper brine, and lemon juice in a small saucepan and cooking on low heat, stirring constantly until thickened to the desired consistency. Cover and set aside.

Step 7

Whisk the eggs with a TBSP of water and 1 tsp of caper brine to make the eggwash. Prepare a breading station with the flour and bread crumbs on either side of the egg wash and the tray with the unbreaded risotto balls next to the flour. Place a tray lined with parchment paper at the other end (I am left handed so I worked from left to right). Lightly salt and pepper the bowl with the bread crumbs. Roll each risotto ball into the flour (shake off excess), roll into the egg wash (allow excess eggwash to drip into bowl), and coat with the breadcrumbs, then set each on the parchment lined tray. Place the tray into the refrigerator to chill for at least 15-20 minutes (this can be done well in advance, up to 3 hours before frying).

Step 8
On a back burner, return the dipping sauce to the stovetop on a very low heat to warm. Prepare the frying oil in a large 10"-12" frying pan (about 2-3 inches of oil deep). Bring the oil to 350F. Fry in small batches of 4-6 at a time. As each ball turns a golden brown color underneath (approximately 3 minutes) gently roll them over and finish cooking. Remove them and place on a large tray lined with paper towels and fry batches until complete.

Step 7:
Ladle a layer of the dipping sauce on a plate and place the risotto balls on top, drizzling with a little more dipping sauce. Garnish with additional fresh herbs if desired (I used a smidgen of finely trimmed dill).

Notes:
After frying the arancini balls, they could be kept warm in the oven at a low heat for half an hour or so until ready to serve. I found that the leftovers reheated in my toaster oven quite well the following day and the breading remained crisp (not sure a microwave would work for reheating). This recipe is completely customizable, so different fillings and herbs would work quite well. Also, different dipping sauces could be used, but the roasted garlic cream sauce worked perfectly with these.

More photos below.

 

[JAS_OH1]

 

[PabloLerntKochen]

They look fantastic