| Risotto Balls with Mozarella Recipe |
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KEY POINTS
| Preparation Time: | 20 mins | Cooking Time: | 40 minutes |
| How Difficult | Medium | Freeze? | Uncooked yes |
| Servings |
4 starters |
INGREDIENTS
| Ingredients |
Imperial |
Metric |
| Italian risotto rice |
5oz |
140 g |
| Mozarella or Emmental Cheese | 3oz | 80g |
| Parmesan cheese (fresh grated if possible) | 1oz | 25 g |
| Butter | ¾ oz | 20 g |
| Onion | ½ medium | ½ medium |
| Garlic clove | 1 medium | 1 medium |
| Vegetable stock | ¾ pint | 350 ml |
| Dried thyme | ¼ teaspoon | ¼ teaspoon |
| Dry white or rose wine | ¾ glass | ¾ glass |
| Olive oil (for the risotto) | 2 tablespoons | 2 tablespoons |
| Cooking oil (to fry the balls) | ½ pint | 300ml |
| Egg | 1 | 1 |
| White bread | 2 slices | 2 slices |
| Flour | 2oz | 55g |
| Salt and pepper | To taste | To taste |
COOKING EQUIPMENT
1 medium frying pan
1 pan to deep fry the risotto balls
A ladle if possible but not necessary
PREPARATION
Finely chop the garlic cloves
Finely chop the onion
Finely grate the parmesan cheese
Lightly whisk the egg
Make breadcrumbs from the bread by choppping in a food processor.
Alternatively, warm the bread in the oven until it starts to dry out then
break into breadcrumbs with your hands.
Method
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Finely chop the onion and garlic. Put two tablespoons of olive oil
in the frying pan at a lowish heat and add the onion and garlic.
Cook at low temperature for around 15 minutes. Stir frequently.
The idea is to soften the onions rather than brown them. |
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Turn up the heat to medium and add the risotto rice to pan. Stir for two minutes until the rice is coated with the oil. |
| Add the wine to the rice and onions and cook for a
few minutes until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid.
Two ladle fulls at a time, add the stock to the risotto and wait until most of the moisture has been absorbed before adding more stock. This slow process forces starch out of the rice giving risotto it's creamy texture. |
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It should take 20 to 25 minutes to add all the stock at which point the rice should be moist with only a little free liquid. Add salt and pepper. |
| Remove the pan from the heat and add in the parmesan, butter and thyme. Stir well to fully mix all ingredients together. |
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Put the risotto in a bowl, cover with cling film and place in the fridge for an hour. |
| When the risotto has cooled, form it into little balls about the size of a golf ball. With your finger, make a hole in the risotto ball and place a small piece of mozzarella cheese in it. Cover the cheese with risotto so that the cheese is enclosed in the middle of the ball. Repeat this until all the risotto has been used. |
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With the breadcrumbs, flour and egg to hand, take
each ball, roll it in the flour, roll it in the egg and then roll
it in the breadcrumbs.
You will end up with risotto balls coated on the outside with breadcrumbs (click picture to enlarge). |
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Heat the oil in a pan to a medium heat and add about four or five
risotto balls. They should sizzle lightly. Cook for about 2
minutes until they are well browned.
Remove from the oil and place on a plate. Repeat until all the risotto balls are cooked. |
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The risotto balls can be served with vegetables as part of a main course meal. Alternatively they make a great starter served with some salad. |
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