Ingredients
- 250g arborio rice
- 700ml chicken stock
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic peeled
- 1 celery stick finely chopped
- 1tsp finely chopped thyme
- 75ml dry white wine
- Pinch of sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 40g Mozzeralla or cheddar, grated
- 40g Parmesan, grated
- 40g Cashel Blue or feta cheese or goat’s cheese
- 200g polenta (bread cumbs will do if you don’t have polenta)
- 1 litre of vegetable oil, for deep frying
- Tomato and chilli sauce:
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 small onion finely diced
- 1 garlic finely chopped
- I small red chilli – seeds removed
- Olive oil
Gently heat the olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan. Add the onion, garlic cloves, thyme and celery and sweat until the onion is translucent. Meanwhile heat the stock in another saucepan. Add the rice to the onion, celery and garlic then reduce the heat to a gentle heat, stirring for five minutes, making sure that every grain is coated and shiny. Add the white wine, then the hot stock a little at a time, making sure the rice is always covered, stirring gently from time to time.
When the rice is fully cooked, remove the garlic cloves then add the Parmesan and mozzarella .Check for seasoning. Then take the pan off the heat and spread the risotto onto a baking tray to speed up the cooling process.
When the rice is cool, roll into little balls with a cube of Cashel Blue or feta cheese or goat’s cheese in the middle.
Roll the arancini in polenta and deep fry until golden brown. The oil should be at about 190 degrees Celsius.
To make the sauce: Heat a little olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is translucent. Add the finely chopped chilli and cook for a minute, then add the tin of tomatoes. Cook over a gentle heat for 20 minutes. Blitz the sauce until smooth. Heat through before serving.
