Arepas with Octopus and Lobster Salad

Bobby Flay

Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay, 2008

Show: Throwdown With Bobby FlayEpisode: Arepas

Picture of Arepas with Octopus and Lobster Salad Recipe Photo: Arepas with Octopus and Lobster Salad Recipe
Rated 3 stars out of 5
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Total Time:
3 hr 0 min
Prep
1 hr 30 min
Cook
1 hr 30 min
Yield:
6 to 8 servings
Level:
Difficult
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Ingredients

Salad:

  • 2 quarts red wine vinegar
  • 4 Spanish onions, roughly chopped
  • 4 carrots, roughly chopped
  • 1 head celery, roughly chopped
  • 3 tablespoons black peppercorns
  • Handful thyme sprigs
  • 2 whole octopus, about 6 pounds each, webbing cut between the tentacles
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 lobster, about 1 1/4 pounds
  • 4 yellow bell peppers, roasted and peeled
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons honey
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves
  • 1/2 to 1 whole habanero, seeded and finely diced

Arepas:

  • 2 1/2 cups milk
  • 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 1 1/2 cups white arepa flour (precooked cornmeal)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup grated cotija cheese
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • Vegetable or canola oil, for cooking

To make the salad:

Directions

Fill a large pot with 3 gallons water, add the red wine vinegar, onions, carrots, celery, peppercorns and thyme, and bring to a boil. Add the octopus, cover with parchment, and reduce the heat, if necessary to keep the liquid at a simmer. Simmer until quite tender but the tentacles are still attached, about 1 hour.

Bring another large pot of water to a boil, salt it generously, and add the lobster. Cook 4 minutes and transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.

Puree the peppers in a blender with the lemon juice, paprika, 1 teaspoon honey and some salt and pepper. Taste, and add more honey if you like, and salt or pepper.

Cut the tentacles from the octopus and discards the heads. Some of the skin will slough off on its own; don't worry about removing the rest. Chop roughly into bite-sized pieces. Remove the lobster claws and tail from the shell, and cut into bite-sized pieces.

Toss the octopus and lobster with enough of the pepper puree to coat lightly. Add the cilantro and habanero and toss again just to combine.

To make the arepas:

Bring milk to a simmer in a small saucepan, then remove from heat and stir in butter.

Combine arepa flour, salt, pepper and cotija in a large bowl. Add the hot milk and honey and stir until combined. Let mixture stand until milk is absorbed enough for a soft dough to form, 1 to 2 minutes (dough will continue to stiffen).

Form the dough into 12 balls (about 2 inches in diameter) and flatten between palms into 3 1/2 to 4-inch patties (about 1/3-inch thick).

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until the oil begins to shimmer, fry 4 arepas at a time, until lightly golden brown on both sides and just cooked through about 2 to 3 minutes per side; transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towels.

Slice the arepas in half crosswise, mound some of the salad on the bottom, and top with the other half.

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Newest Ratings and Reviews

Read all 5 reviews

  • on February 20, 2009

    Flag

    I made the arepas according to the girls on the video... as well as bobby's.. taste is great.. however, you really have to make sure that they are not to thick or they just stay very sticky and not very tasty on the inside...2nd time I made them much flatter and just used two instead if cutting one open... I tried them both ways, as a pita type of sandwich, which was very messy... or as almost a tostada with all the toppings.. the tostada style was much more preferred... the other way, they just fell apart etc... Still they are tasty and the Pan Harina precooked is a must... add your own flavor with spices (e.g. cilantro etc
    yummi.

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  • on September 20, 2008

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    I couldn't find a 6 lb octopus, so I substituted 1.5 lbs sauted scallops which brought down the difficulty factor. I'm still not sure 12 lbs of octopus is the right measurement. The amount of Arepas dough didn't make 12 breads that could be cut in halves to make a sandwich type meal. I think it would only make 6 breads like the serving size 6-8 suggests. I followed the directions and made 12 balls of dough. The bread doesn't rise and was too thin to slice so I served it like an open face sandwich. The bell pepper sauce was perfect. Just the right amount of heat from the habanero.

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  • on September 05, 2008

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    I'm from Venezuela, this recipe is really good the only thing is to make arepas there is no need of all that work, just use Harina Pan (Corn meal like the package said, is a lot easier.

    people found this review Helpful.
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