haven't posted for a while...sorry. so, no time to waste chatting. on with the recipe.
arancini is a italian peasant dish that is super tasty. involves deep frying risotto balls. usually cheese stuffed. i like mine dirty. so here goes.
first form a paste.
1 bulb roasted garlic.
1.5 tbsp smoked oyster rough mince
3 tbs olive oil
.5 tsp mustard powder
.5 tsp crushed fennel seed
.5 tsp chili powder.( i use really spicy, but if you're a wuss, go mild)
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
this step is simple puree all ingredients while slowly incorperating the olive oil. until you have a smooth paste.
next we make risotto. yay! this means 20 min of stirring! you love stirring right? best times of your life? i thought so.
start sauce pot on med heat with 2-3 tbsp of olive oil
add 2 cups arborio rice. lightly toast in simmering olive oil.
deglaze with 1/4 cup of white wine. while constantly stirring, let reduce by half. reduce heat to med-low. now add 2 cups of shrimp stock half a cup at a time. and add the paste. constantly stirring until sec, then adding more stock. once the risotto is al dente (or cooked but with a bit of tooth) remove from pot and place in a mixing bowl you may need a cup of stock more depending on the temp of your stove top. so leave yourself a little extra to be safe. let cool to room temp. add 1 egg and 1 yolk to risotto and mix thoroughly. place in fridge.
cool..that was fun right? at this point the rice is tasty on its own. but we're going the extra step adding cheese and deep frying. i guess that's two steps...whatever.
buy some good fresh mozzarella for this. the gooey state that cheese becomes is epic with this. or, if you'd like, use some quebec cheese curds. also very nummy.
ok, so line your palm (your clean palm right? you obviously have washed your hands) with the now cool risotto. place cheese in center. top with more risotto. roll gingerly into a ball form. set aside. repeat. i usually make these about 1.5 oz portion sizes. or golf ball size. i wouldn't recommend going much bigger.
if you have a deep fryer, great! oil at 300 please and dunk these suckers in until they are golden brown. awesome. no deep fryer? sauce pot with enough oil to cover at 300 will do. use a slotted spoon to place arancini into and take out of the oil. be careful.
that was the arancini portion, now for the tuna sauce.
mince
1 shallot
3 bulbs garlic
1/4 spanish onion
set a sauce pot on med-low and sweat off above ingredients in 2 tbs of butter.deglaze with 3 tbs dry vermouth. add 1.5 cups 35% cream. add one can(170gr) of canned tuna. let bubble until liquid has reduced by 1 quarter. puree until smooth. like, uber smooth.
as for plating i place the tuna sauce down first then put the lovely arancini on top. granish with olive oil and a little aged balsamic. basil springs and poached cherry tomato's are a nice touch as well. so yeah. that's it. enjoy!
big heart chef
