Bite Sized

Photo by Anna Routh/Courtesy of Olivero

At Olivero, family-inspired dishes with Spanish and Italian influences pepper the restaurant’s menu.

For co-executive chef LAUREN KRALL IVEY, arancini was a given to be included in their lineup.

“I love almost anything that’s fried and crispy with a creamy center, so arancini was an obvious fit for the Olivero menu. It’s such a delicious little snack to start a meal,” she says.

Arancini, a traditional Italian bite of stuffed, breaded, and fried risotto balls, takes on a coastal twist at Olivero, which opened at 522 South Third Street last year.

Ivey and co-executive chef and owner SUNNY GERHART incorporate North Carolina crab sourced from a trusted vendor into the dish.

“We’ve been working with Jim Casey, aka Smiley, for many years,” Ivey says. “He used to deliver to us back in Raleigh, and we are so lucky to work with him here in Wilmington. Jim has been sourcing North Carolina seafood for twenty-eight years.”

To bring the popular Olivero item home for summertime menus, Ivey suggests taking advantage of abundant tomatoes and peppers that are in season for the romesco sauce.

“Arancini are a great appetizer to serve with almost any meal,” she says. “You can also skip the breading and frying and just serve the warm risotto with romesco sauce for an easy weeknight meal.”

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Olivero’s Arancini

INGREDIENTS

9 c Parmesan stock, seafood stock, or vegetable stock

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 yellow onion, finely diced

½ c white wine

4 tbsp butter

½ c grated Parmesan cheese

2 c arborio or carnaroli rice

1 lb fresh picked crab

Salt to taste

Zest of 1 lemon

For the breading

2 c all-purpose flour

3 eggs

3 c panko breadcrumbs

DIRECTIONS

In a medium saucepan, bring broth to a simmer over medium, then reduce heat to lowest setting to keep warm.

In a large Dutch oven or sauce pot, heat oil over medium. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally until softened but not browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Add rice and stir until evenly coated in oil, 1 minute.

Add wine to rice and increase heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring, until all the liquid is absorbed into the rice, about 1 minute.

Add ½ cup of the hot broth and briskly simmer, stirring very frequently, until almost all the liquid is absorbed, about 2 minutes. Repeat, adding ½ cup of the broth at a time and stirring until all the liquid is absorbed before the next addition of broth. Cook until rice is al dente and risotto is creamy and saucy, about 18 minutes total. (You can add hot water if you need more liquid than the 9 cups of broth).

Turn off heat. Stir in crab, lemon zest, butter, and cheese; season to taste with salt. Spread the risotto on a sheet pan or casserole dish and let cool completely.

Using a 1-ounce scoop, form the risotto into evenly sized balls.

Place flour, eggs, and panko in three separate bowls.

Bread the risotto balls by tossing in flour, then egg, finishing in the panko.

Deep fry the arancini at 350° for about 5 minutes or until golden brown.

Romesco Sauce

INGREDIENTS

2 red bell peppers

¼ c roasted tomatoes

1 clove garlic

2 tbsp chopped parsley

2 tbsp sherry vinegar

1 tsp smoked paprika

¼ tsp cayenne

¼ c extra virgin olive oil

Salt to taste

½ c toasted almonds

DIRECTIONS

Thoroughly char bell peppers and tomatoes on the grill or over open flame. Steam in a mixing bowl covered in plastic, or a Ziplock bag. Peel the skin off the peppers, making sure to remove the pith and all the seeds. (You can also use store-bought roasted peppers and tomatoes).

While the peppers are charring, toast the nuts and cool. Once cool, chop the nuts in a food processor.

Remove the nuts from the food processor and set aside. Add the peppers, tomatoes, garlic, sherry vinegar, and parsley and puree. Add the spices and salt. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil until lightened in color and well emulsified. Adjust seasoning if needed. Add almonds to the food processor and pulse until incorporated.

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