Savoury Arancini Balls
TIME: 40 minutes + cooling time (2-3 hours)
Makes: 8-12 large balls
We’ve been inspired by one of our customers that has been making arancini balls with our arborio rice and breadcrumbs.
This whole time we’d thought arancini were for the adventurous cooks. Who knew that arancini balls were so easy to make!
Ingredients:
2 medium onions chopped finely
2 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic sliced
Small sprig Rosemary
1 litre veg stock
1 tsp chilli flakes
Good pinch fine pink Himalayan salt
Black pepper
330g (1 1/2 cup) arborio rice
40g (1/2 cup) shredded parmesan
2 eggs
180g (2 cups) dried breadcrumbs
150g (1 cup) plain flour
100g mozzarella or brie, cut into 1.5cm pieces
Vegetable oil, to deep-fry
Creating the Magic:
Step 1
Place the stock in a medium saucepan over high heat and bring just to the boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Hold at a gentle simmer.
Step 2
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until the onion is soft.
Step 3
Add the rice to the onion mixture and cook, stirring, until the grains appear slightly glassy. Add (about 1/2 cup of the stock to the rice mixture and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the liquid is completely absorbed. Continue to add the stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding more liquid, for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender yet firm to the bite and the risotto is creamy. Stir in the parmesan. Set aside for 2-3 hours to cool completely.
Step 4
Place the breadcrumbs on a large plate. Place the flour in a bowl. Crack the eggs into a separate bowl and use a fork to lightly whisk. Use wet hands to shape 2 tablespoons of the risotto mixture into a ball. Press your thumbs into the centre of the ball to make an indent. Place a piece of mozzarella in the indent, then mould the risotto mixture around the mozzarella to enclose. Repeat with the remaining risotto mixture and mozzarella.
Step 5
Roll the risotto balls in the flour and shake off any excess. Dip in the egg, then in the breadcrumbs, pressing to coat. Place on a large plate. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.
Step 6
Add enough oil in a large saucepan to reach a depth of 5cm. Heat to 190°C over medium-high heat (when the oil is ready a cube of bread will turn golden in 10 seconds). Add 7 risotto balls to the oil and cook, turning occasionally, for 4-5 minutes or until golden. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate. Repeat, in 3 more batches, with the remaining risotto balls, reheating the oil between batches.
Step 7
Place the risotto balls on a serving plate and serve with tomato marinara sauce.
To make vegan arancini balls substitute the brie for cooked pieces of pumpkin, and add a crunchy, cheesy crumb with breadcrumbs, sesame seeds, and nutritional yeast. Voila – gooey, cheesy, crispy balls of deliciousness!
This recipe has been adapted from Rebel Recipes