One of the very best dishes I have ever eaten is the Pumpkin Risotto and Arancini by Chef Liam Tomlin. I can have it for breakfast, lunch and dinner and have it again the next day. ( See my COOK & BOOK section for more about his latest book TAPAS, where you can find the recipe.)
This recipe is for Arancini made with leftover mushroom risotto, but you may use any risotto to make these. It is a delicious and substantial canapé to have with that perfect glass of wine or alternatively, served with a salad as a starter.
cold, leftover mushroom risotto (recipe on this site)
±100g flour, seasoned with salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
± 100g fine breadcrumbs
Mozzarella cheese, cut into 1cm X 1cm cubes
vegetable oil for deep-frying
Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Scoop about 15ml of the risotto into your hand (I use my measuring spoon for this) and push a cube of cheese into it. Manipulate the rice to cover the cheese completely and shape into a ball. Place the risotto ball on the lined baking sheet. Keep going until you have the quantity you want.
Line up 3 shallow containers.
Add the flour to the first container, the eggs to the second and the breadcrumbs to the third.
Now roll a risotto ball in the flour, dip it into the egg mixture and finally roll it in the breadcrumbs.
Make sure that each risotto ball is completely covered by each of the ingredients before proceeding to the next.
Place the coated balls back onto the lined tray.
Add enough vegetable oil to a heavy based saucepan to deep-fry the balls. The oil should be about 170℃.
Place a risotto ball onto a slotted spoon and lower it into the heated oil. Add about 4 -5 at a time, depending on the size of the saucepan, and fry until beautifully golden.
Lift out onto some kitchen paper to drain the excess oil.
Serve warm.
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