Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Rosie Makes Arancini Moreovers.

Recently, I was asked to make this dish
for a special occasion.
It's seared scallops with basil pesto and caramelized onions
atop a Parmesan crisp on top of a bed
of creamy risotto with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes.

I had risotto left over, so today I'm making Moreover Risotto.
In the form of arancini.
Remember, Rosie doesn't do "leftovers."
Rosie does "moreovers," which is a totally different thing.

"Well, do tell, Rosie!
What are arancini," you ask?

Arancini are rice balls.
Italian street food.
The center is filled with a savory mixture
and contains a happy surprise - melted mozzarella,
and the outer layer is breaded and fried.

True Italian arancini are big -
the size of oranges.
In fact, "arancia" means "orange.

I'm making mine golf ball size.

Arancini
2 cups risotto, cooled
(Mine was cooked with sun-dried tomatoes and spinach.)
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
panko breadcrumbs to coat.
small cubes of mozzarella
And get the good mozzarella from the deli, not the generic,
because we're talking apples and oranges.

Combine risotto, eggs, Parmesan, and 1/3 cup panko.
Form mixture into balls and insert one cube of mozzarella 
in center of each ball.
Roll in panko to coat.
Working in batches, add rice balls to 350° peanut oil,
turning balls as needed to brown evenly.
Fry until golden - 2-3 minutes.
Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Next time you have leftover rice,
this is a great "moreover" recipe.




I'm a sucker for melted mozzarella.

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