Many arancini recipes assume you know how to make risotto, which I didn’t. That’s why this particular version of the recipe was really useful for me. This is is one of my little ones favourite dishes, she absolutely loves it. I don’t really like rice myself, but this makes me want to reconsider! They’re great hot or cold, and you could even serve them with a homemade tomato pasta sauce and maybe some home made garlic bread!

Ingredients

10g butter
1 small shallot, finely chopped
½ small garlic clove, crushed
110g risotto rice
500ml hot vegetable or chicken stock
30g ready grated mozzarella
30g mature Cheddar, grated
3tbsp freshly grated Parmesan
50g dried breadcrumbs
Good pinch of paprika
2tbsp flour
1 egg, beaten
Sunflower oil, for frying

Method

• Melt the butter in a large pan and sauté the shallot for 2-3 mins, until translucent.
• Add the garlic and rice, and cook, stirring constantly, for a further 2 mins.
• Add 400ml of the stock and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
• Cook the rice for 20-25 mins until just tender. Stir every 4-5 mins and add a little extra stock if it becomes too dry.
• Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheeses.
• Spread the risotto out on a large plate and leave to cool, then cover and chill as quickly as possible.
• Take slightly rounded teaspoonfuls of cold risotto and roll into balls. Season the breadcrumbs with the paprika.
• Put the flour on a plate and the egg in a small bowl. Dust the risotto balls with flour, dip in egg and coat in breadcrumbs then place on a baking sheet lined with cling film.
• Put enough oil into a large frying pan to give a depth of 1 cm (½ in) and put over a medium heat.
• When the oil is shimmering add the arancini and fry for 6-8 mins, turning frequently, until golden brown.
• Drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper

Variations

You could always add some chopped ham to the risotto before you set it to cool, or some finely chopped vegetables

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