Arancini - Deep Fried Risotto Balls

 Now I'm not the world’s biggest risotto fan but on occasion I do like bowl full of the stuff and until now the problem has been that it’s actually quite filling and I invariably make too much. Knowing what to do with the leftovers other than chuck it in the bin has been an ever-present conscience testing dilemma.

However having visited Pesto in Liverpool One, I was fortunate to try their Arancini which gave me the inspiration for this. Yeah I know Pesto is a chain restaurant … blah blah … but I like it there OK

So look, I have to apologise, the recipe predicates that you have previously made some risotto and that in itself is a bit of a labour of love, what with all the stirring and that. That said it really is worth a go. Can I prove this? Yes I bloody well can. You see Lisa, is even less a fan of risotto than me and on top of that saffron is well down her list of must haves. She loved it, which, lets be honest is a massive thumbs up for this little starter

Crunch through the breadcrumbs you’re met with soft flavour-full rice and at its centre deliciously creamy and tangy cheese.  They make a perfect starter or nibble to go with your cold Peroni.

Ingredients

You’ll notice there are no quantities as this depends entirely on how much risotto you have

• Left over Risotto
• Grated cheese of choice, I went for Manchego and old Amsterdam, but a good strong cheddar would work just as well
• Flour
• Beaten Egg
• Breadcrumbs
• Oil for deep frying

Method

Wet your hands and pinch a chunk of risotto, rolling it in your hands to make ball about 2.5 to 3cm in Diameter, repeat this process until you have rolled out all of your risotto.

Next, using your finger make a hole in each risotto ball, this makes room for the cheese filling.

Now fill each hole with the cheese of your choice

Finish this stage by re-shaping and rolling each ball so that it is spherical and the cheese contained inside

Using the standard breadcrumb method, roll each ball in flour, egg and finally breadcrumbs.

Heat the oil in the Pan to 375 degrees and then deep fry around 4 Balls a time (the amount you cook in one batch depends on how big your pan is really) until they are golden brown in colour. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and place upon kitchen paper to soak up excess oil. That’s it really, you’re ready to go