Crispy Arancini Bites with Brie Served with Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
For the brown butter risotto
3 cups good quality chicken stock
4 Tbsp butter
1 cup Spekko Long Grain Parboiled Rice
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt & pepper to taste
For the arancini
1 block Brie cheese (15 small cubes)
1 cup wheat cake flour
3 eggs (whisked)
3 cups panko breadcrumbs
To serve
Cranberry sauce
Fresh sage
Method
To make the risotto
1. Heat the chicken stock in a pot until steaming. You don’t need it to simmer, just steam.
2. In another pot, melt the butter over medium low heat. Stir frequently, and in less than one minute the butter will begin to brown. (Be careful not to burn the butter). As soon as the butter starts to brown, add the rice.
3. Simmer the rice in the butter, stirring frequently for 1 minute. You want the rice to brown ever so slightly.
4. Use a ladle to spoon the warm stock over the rice until the broth just covers the top of the risotto. Simmer slowly, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the rice absorbs all of the stock.
5. Pour more stock over the rice, until it is just submerged. Let the stock simmer until it is all absorbed by the rice. Repeat this process adding stock a total of 4 times, adding salt as you go. Taste test the rice after adding stock three times, to see if you need to add it a fourth time. You want the risotto to be soft, but with a little bit of chewiness in the center. Add the Parmesan cheese and stir until melted.
6. Place in a shallow dish and set aside, once cool put in the fridge and leave until complete chilled.
To make the arancini
1. Weigh out 15 X 30 g balls the cooled risotto.
2. Flatten the balls and place the cubes of brie in the middle of the risotto and then roll back into even balls
3. Put the flour, egg and bread crumbs into separate bowls. Dip each ball into flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs. (repeat the egg and breadcrumb step for a double coating)
4. Fry in a deep fat fryer at 160 °C until the balls are golden brown. Rest on paper towels and season with salt.
5. Serve immediately with cranberry sauce and garnish with sage.