Arepas with Octopus and Lobster Salad

Ingredients

• 0.5 teaspoon pepper black freshly ground
• 8 servings pepper black freshly ground
• 3 tablespoons peppercorns black
• 8 servings canola oil for cooking
• 4  carrots roughly chopped
• 1 head celery roughly chopped
• 0.5 cup cilantro leaves coarsely chopped
• 0.5 cup cotija cheese grated
• 1.5 cups arepa flour white (precooked cornmeal)
• 0.5  to 1 habanero diced whole seeded finely
• 1 tablespoon honey 
• 1 teaspoons honey 
• 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt 
• 8 servings kosher salt 
• 1 tablespoon juice of lemon freshly squeezed
• 1  pd of lobster 
• 2.5 cups milk 
• 2  octopus legs whole
• 4  onions spanish roughly chopped
• 2 quarts red wine vinegar 
• 1 teaspoon paprika smoked
• 1 Handful thyme sprigs 
• 0.3 cup butter unsalted cut into pieces
• 4  bell peppers yellow peeled

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• baking sheet
• paper towels
• sauce pan
• pot
• blender

Directions

1. Watch how to make this recipe.
2. To make the salad:Fill a large pot with 3 gallons water, add the red wine vinegar, onions, carrots, celery, peppercorns and thyme, and bring to a boil.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Add the cilantro and habanero and toss again just to combine.
7. To make the arepas: Bring milk to a simmer in a small saucepan, then remove from heat and stir in butter.
8. Combine arepa flour, salt, pepper and cotija in a large bowl.
9. Add the hot milk and honey and stir until combined.
10. 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).
11. 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.