Mozzarella Arancini 

Ingredients – serves 4:

For the risotto:

• – 1 x small white onion
• – 2 x garlic cloves
• – 240g x risotto rice
• – 800ml x vegetable or chicken stock
• – 80g x parmesan cheese
• – 50g x butter 
• – 125ml x white wine
• – zest of 1 lemon
• – Optional herbs: Oregano or Thyme

For the filling:

• – 1 x mozzarella ball, ripped into 12

To coat:

• – 2 x eggs, beaten
• – 100g x plain flour
• – 200g x panko breadcrumbs

Method:

1. Start by making the risotto. This needs to be cooked and chilled before the arancini can be made, so give yourself time to do it in advance, ideally cook a day ahead.
2. Finely dice the onion, make a paste from the garlic and zest the lemon. 
3. Add a squeeze of oil to a large pan over a medium heat. Add half the butter and allow to melt before adding the onion.
4. Cook onion for a few minutes until soft, then add the garlic paste. 
5. Give the garlic a minute to cook before adding in the rice. It’s important to toast the rice for a minute or two. 
6. Add the wine and give it a stir. Allow it to bubble and reduce down until the pan is almost dry, then add enough stock to cover the rice. Stir occasionally and top up with stock whenever the pan starts to dry out. 
7. The rice will need about 20 minutes to cook. You may or may not use all of the stock. If you run out but the rice isn’t cooked, use water in place of stock to avoid it becoming too salty. 
8. Once the rice is cooked, it is no longer chalky, but still has a bite to it. Try the rice to check. Stir in the parmesan, herbs, lemon zest and remaining butter. Taste to check the seasoning.
9. Spread the rice over a baking tray or large plate to cool, the transfer to a fridge to keep cold. 

To make the arancini:

1. Tear the mozzarella into 12 pieces and place in a bowl. Season with salt and cracked black pepper.
2. For even sized arancini, weigh your risotto into 12 equal portions.  Or, just scoop some rice into you hand and place some of the mozzarella mix into the middle of the rice. Form a ball around the filling and roll in your hands to cover the filing completely. Repeat with all of the risotto.
3. Set up your pane station with a bowl of flour, then a bowl of beaten eggs, then a bowl of breadcrumbs. Dunk your rice balls first into the flour, then the egg and finally the panko. 

To cook:

1. Deep fry in oil heated to 180 degrees until golden brown and hot throughout- about 8 minutes.
2. Shallow fry in a frying pan with hot oil. Place the arancini into the oil and cook until golden brown, and then roll over to cook another side. Repeat until the whole ball is golden brown and crispy- about 8 -10 minutes.
3. Air fry by spraying the balls with oil and placing into a pre-heated air fryer at 190. Cook for 10 minutes, until crispy and golden brown.