Our Little Chefs loved these, and what’s not to love - rice in a crispy ball with gooey cheese in the middle, yum! A great way to use up left over risotto or make it from scratch, starting a couple of hours before you want to eat as you want the rice to get cool and sticky.
Ingredients (makes 8 balls, enough for 2-3 for lunch)
2 cups cooked risotto (made from 1 cup arborio rice as below)
75g of mozzarella cut into 8 small cubes
1 cup plain flour on a plate
1 egg beaten on a plate
1 egg, beaten in a cup
1 cup dried breadcrumbs on a plate
Rice Bran oil, for frying
Preparation (this takes 30 mins and needs to cool so start between one to three hours before you need it)
Cook the risotto: Make up 3 cups of hot stock using Swiss bouillon powder. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in the pan, add half an onion, finely chopped and 1 clove finely chopped garlic and cook 2-3 mins, then add the rice and stir well. Add the hot vegetable stock one cup at a time, adding as it is absorbed (this will take about 25 mins). When it is cooked it will be tender but firm. Leave the risotto to cool for at least 30 mins so it gets sticky for rolling.
Method
1) Stir the beaten egg from the cup into the risotto.
2) Now get a tablespoon of risotto and flatten it into the palm of your hand. Place one cube of mozzarella in the centre of the risotto and close the rice around the cube, shaping it into a ball.
3) Roll the risotto ball in the flour, egg then breadcrumbs. Set it on a piece of baking paper until you're ready to fry all your risotto balls.
4) Once you have made all of your balls, heat the rice bran oil in a deep frypan on the stove. When the oil is hot and ready (a wooden spoon should 'bubble' when placed in the oil) fry your arancini balls in single layer batches until they are golden brown.
5) Drain the arancini balls on paper towels.
6) Serve warm with tomato sauce, basil leaves and salad.
