Risotto is Glorified Gruel. There. I said it.
I try to like it, I really do. It just sounds so sexy when Italians say the word, with the soft dentalised T, the kitchen getting hot and steamy while stirring those translucent pearls of rice over the stove, the super fresh ingredients just picked up from the market . Yep - it should work. But it doesn’t. I’ve had risotto at restaurants, and made it at home, and I just can’t see what all the fuss is about.
So, in a vain attempt to try to win myself over and join the cool and sexy risotto-lovers, I made it again yesterday. I followed instructions, I did a nice simple combination of flavours – Chicken, mushroom, pea and asparagus. I even made my own stock (after forgetting to buy it at the shops!) But still no win. The flavours were there… but the texture is just not my bag. Also, if I ever try it again, I won’t be using large field mushrooms - they turned the brew into a fetching shade of “Tracksuit Grey”.
RISOTTO FAIL.
But Behold! Arancini to the rescue! These nifty little balls of deliciousness saved the day… well… the left overs the next day at least! Arancini Balls (or, as I have coined them Gruel Cubes, but we’ll get to that later) are another ‘very in’ thing at the moment, they originate from Sicily. Essentially, they’re crumbed balls of leftover Risotto. So, maybe that 2 kilograms of risotto I have frozen in the fridge won’t go to waste!
Ingredients
A serve of leftover Risotto – I’m not even going to bother giving you my recipe… please find one that works for you.
Plain Flour
1 egg, lightly whisked
Breadcrumbs
finely grated parmesan cheese
Olive Oil spray
Olive Oil
Method
- take some risotto in your hand and shape it into a ball
- roll in flour
- roll in egg
- roll in breadcrumbs mixed with parmesan cheese
- repeat for next ball
- spray with olive oil (this just makes sure all sides are covered in oil)
- add a bit of oil to a heated pan and fry balls on all sides until golden. (they kinda turned into cube shapes while cooking this way, hense the nick name – Gruel Cubes. Arancini Balls sounds a lot more fancy)
- or deep fry
- or bake in the oven
[...] Risotto FAIL: Arancini – SAVE! [...]
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