Risotto Cakes
Chef Giada De Laurentiis offered up a neat little recipe on a risotto-focused episode of her Food Network program, “Everyday Italian“: Arancini di Riso, fried balls of leftover risotto stuffed with chunks of mozzarella. Stuck with a dish of leftover risotto and Chanukah’s call for deep-fat frying, I found the recipe and simplified it for fleishig use, as my particular risotto was infused with beef broth. I nixed the mozzarella and parmesan, but if you’re in a milchig mood, add a handful of freshly grated parmesan to both the rice and the breadcrumb coating and stuff a sliver of mozzarella into each patty.
To make these lovely fleishig “rice latkes,” you’ll need:
** 2 cups leftover risotto (mine was a wild mushroom and rosemary varient)
** 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs (throw your leftover challah in the food processor)
** 2 eggs, beaten
** oil for frying (try using olive oil, or a mixture of canola and olive)
Mix risotto, 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs, and eggs together. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Form 2-tablespoon balls of risotto batter in your hands, roll in the remaining breadcrumbs, press slightly to form patties, and set aside.
Heat about 1/4″ of oil in a large frying pan to about 350 degrees. If you don’t have a thermometer handy, carefully drop in a very small amount of batter; if it bubbles instantly, you’re probably at a good temperature.
Without overcrowding your pan, fry patties until nicely browned, turning once, in batches if necessary. Place browned patties on paper towels to draw away any extraneous cooking oil.
Serve immediately, while hot. Garnish with herbs and serve with a sauce that complements the flavors of your risotto. We used chopped parsley and a light tomato sauce.