ARANCINI – RISOTTO BALLS

Arancini, Italian risotto balls, are an absolute favourite to many people when it comes to fried foods. Arancini is also an excellent leftover dish, because you can make them from risotto made the day before.

Chef Henry Lepist made us arancini from delicious black trumpet risotto. Tomato sauce and fried kale are excellent complements to the dish.

Ingredients

100 g shallots, finely diced

50 g fennel, finely diced

50 g celery, finely diced

15 g garlic, finely diced

100 g black trumpet mushrooms, finely diced

100 ml rapeseed oil

500 g Arborio (risotto) rice

200 ml white wine

1.5 l vegetable stock, heated

100 g parmesan cheese, grated

10 g chives, finely chopped

100 g cream cheese

Salt and pepper

For breading and frying

3 eggs

65 g plain flour

100 g breadcrumbs

1 l oil for deep fat frying

TOMATO SAUCE

50 g celery, finely diced

150 g onion, finely diced

20 g garlic, finely diced

1 chilli, finely diced

100 ml olive oil

100 ml tomato purée

200 ml white wine

1,000 g crushed tomatoes

500 ml vegetable stock

Sugar

Salt and pepper

Instructions

In a pot, sauté the shallot, fennel, celery, garlic and mushrooms in the oil on low heat. Add the rice and continue sautéing for 5 more minutes. Pour in the wine and let bubble for a few minutes. Add the hot stock in batches. Cook on low heat until all the stock has been added and the rice is al dente. Let the risotto cool, then add the parmesan, chives and cream cheese and season with salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly and place in the refrigerator for a few hours to allow the flavours to develop.

For breading and frying

Take golf ball-sized portions of the risotto and roll into balls. Place in the freezer for an hour (they are easier to bread when firmed up). Beat the eggs in one dish, put the flour in another and the breadcrumbs in a third. Roll the balls first in the flour, then the egg and the breadcrumbs last.

Heat up the oil to 170 °C and fry the balls until they are golden brown all over. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the risotto balls onto paper towels to drain a bit, then serve right away.

TOMATO SAUCE

Sauté the celery, onion, garlic and chilli in the oil for 5 minutes. Add the tomato purée and cook for a few more minutes on low heat. Pour in the wine and let bubble for a couple of minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes and stock and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. Finish the sauce by adding sugar to taste and seasoning with salt and pepper.

Thank you for the recipe Henry Lepist