Arancini - seventh new recipe of 2012

Someday I'll find something healthy that tastes this delicious

Arancini are deep fried risotto balls.  They can be filled with mushrooms or peas, but screw that.  If I'm going to take a mixture of rice and cheese and deep fry it, those belly bombs are going to be filled with cheese as nature intended.  Can't let the terrorists win.

I had leftover bacon and leek risotto left over.  I started from this recipe but replaced some of the chicken stock with ham stock, just because I had it.  I also added some onions and a little bit of roasted garlic base before adding some peas right at the end. 

The recipe came out fine, and I intentionally made enough to make arancini from the leftovers.

Fontina cubes, leftover risotto, a beaten egg and panko crumbs

Most of the recipes called for making a ball from the risotto and tucking a cube of cheese into it.  When I made the first batch this way, they were too large and the cheese didn't fully melt.  I made them a little smaller and tucked the cheese into a smaller hemisphere of risotto, adding enough risotto to fully surround the cheese on all side.  I then dipped it into the beaten egg and covered it in panko crumbs. 

Ready for a swim

 

 

Crisping up in the FryDaddy

Finally, I served these on a bed of hot marinara sauce and topped them with a little parmesan.  These were incredible, and I'll definitely make them again!