I made some really good mushroom risotto last week with parmesan, gruyere and aged cheddar cheeses. I used different kinds of mushrooms and made it in my Thermomix for the first time. I’ve always been a risotto purist with the boiling stock and stir, stir, stir. Since getting the new gadget I’d been toying with changing my ways but it felt somehow sinful to plop it all in the pot and walk away.
40 minutes later and it was dinner. All I needed to do was add the salt and pepper and the cheeses. The problem was the amount. I copied the recipe in the book that came with the machine and frankly, I think people with Thermomixes have more people eating than just two. I had heaps of leftover risotto sitting in the fridge the following morning. My husband doesn’t like (won’t eat) leftovers as a rule. I blame his mother for spoiling him rotten. She says I continue it. We’re both right.
I was looking through my Facebook timeline and someone was talking about Arancini and all I could think of was, “Here’s dinner!” Arancini are mozarella cheese stuffed inside risotto, rolled in egg and breadcrumbs and fried. I can’t call what I made arancini because I didn’t follow any recipe. I just used it as a guide.
Because I already had 3 strong cheeses in my risotto I decided to stuff my risotto balls with cream cheese. I rolled them in egg and then in panko because I love panko. I love how crunchy it makes fried food.
When I was nearly done I called John and told him dinner was nearly ready. He came in and said what he says every single night. “So, what’s for dinner?”
“Leftover risotto.”
“Ahh, okay.”
That is code for, “You know I don’t enjoy leftovers but I’ll eat them because I have no choice.”
I served them with cold chicken (more leftovers) and a green salad (not leftover) and some lovely tomato relish that I’d made a couple of weeks ago.
They were SO good. I’m not sure I’d go as far as to say they were orgasmic but I will definitely make them again.
John said they were delicious and he could imagine making risotto just to make these balls. That’s a big compliment from a no leftovers sort of man.
- Leftover risotto
- Cream cheese
- 3 tbs plain flour
- 1 Egg, beaten
- panko bread crumbs
- Make balls with cold risotto and put a ball of cream cheese inside.
- Roll in flour, then in beaten egg and then in panko crumbs
- Deep fry at 180 until golden brown.
- Serve with honey mustard sauce, chutney, caramelized onions or just on their own.