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Recipes Nugget Markets Signature Recipes

Arancini Risotto Cakes

Prep time
15–20 minutes PT20M
Cook time
35–40 minutes PT40M
Yield
8 servings
Difficulty
2 out of 5 on the difficulty scale
Arancini Risotto Cakes Nugget Markets signature recipes

Crispy on the outside with warm, cheesy centers, it's hard to beat these deliciously decadent bites!

Ingredients

Saffron Risotto:

  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon saffron
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ medium yellow onion, diced small
  • 2 cups Arborio rice
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons butter

Arancini Risotto Cakes:

  • 2 cups saffron risotto, cooled
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups breadcrumbs, divided
  • ¼ cup mozzarella, diced into ¼-inch cubes
  • 4 cups canola oil

Preparation

Over medium heat, preheat canola oil to 365°F.

To make the saffron risotto, combine chicken stock with water and bring to a boil. In a small bowl, ladle 2 tablespoons of boiling water over the saffron.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil and sauté onions until translucent. Add the rice and sauté until the outside of the kernels becomes translucent.

Deglaze with wine, then when the pan is almost dry, start adding the chicken stock mixture a little at a time, just enough to cover the rice. Stir very frequently so the rice doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Each subsequent addition of liquid should occur after the previous amount is mostly absorbed.

When there is about 1 cup of liquid left to add, start checking for doneness; the rice should be "al dente," which can take 20–30 minutes. Once the rice has reached proper texture, stop adding liquid. Turn off heat, then stir in Parmesan and butter.

To make the arancini risotto cakes, mix the cooled risotto, egg and ¼ cup breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Form into golf ball-sized rounds and press 1 cube of mozzarella into the middle of each ball. Roll each ball in breadcrumbs and fry in hot oil until golden brown.

Serve with marinara sauce or your favorite aioli.

Techniques used in this recipe:

deep-fry
deep-fry: a cooking method in which foods are cooked by immersion in hot fat; deep-fried foods are often coated with bread crumbs or batter before being cooked.
dredge
dredge: to coat food with a dry ingredient such as flour or bread crumbs.
coat
coat: to sprinkle food with, or dip it into, egg, flour, chocolate, sauce, etc.

Glossary:

aioli

Garlic mayonnaise. (Also, in Italian, allioli; in Spanish, aliolio.)

risotto

Rice that is sauteed briefly in butter with onions and possibly other aromatics, then combined with stock, which is added in several additions and stirred constantly, producing a creamy texture with grains that are still al dente; short-grain or Arborio.

saffron

Obtain from the dried stigmas of a fall-flowering Crocus believed to be native to Spain, where most, and the best, of the world's Saffron supply continues to be produced. The plants delicate, light purple blossom bears the scarlet-yellow stigmas which must be picked by hand. Approximately 225,000 stigmas are required to make 1-pound of saffron.

Saffron adds a distinctive "old world" flavor to foods. It is found in Paella, a Spanish rice dish made with a variety of meats and shellfish, and in the French seafood stew, Bouillabase.

Use saffron in yogurt-based dips for vegetables and as a unusual but tasty addition to rice pudding. It takes great with lamb and most seafood and shellfish.

Pair with

  • Pinot Gris

    An ancient natural mutation of Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris can vary dramatically in taste depending on where it is grown. In the Tre Venezie in Italy, where it is known as Pinot Grigio, it is often a simple, light, crisp wine. However, Italian Pinot Grigio shows little similarity to the majestic, lavish, sometimes spicy Pinot Gris of Alsace. The aromas of Pinot Gris suggest peach skins or orange rind. Pinot Grigio is currently the best-selling imported wine in the United States, and it's fun to say too!

  • Viognier

    Viognier is responsible for the prestigious wine Condrieu and is quickly gaining popularity with Californian producers. Its aromas suggest exotic honeysuckle and stone fruit, and it has a lanolinish flavor with a heavy, oily texture.

  • Albarino

    A delicious, light, lemony, often slightly fizzy wine. Not as full bodied as Chardonnay, as minerally as Riesling, or as herbal as Sauvignon Blanc. Albarino's flavors range from zingy citrus-peach to almond-honeysuckle.

  • Chenin Blanc

    Commonly grown in the Loire Valley of France, as well as in California. A high-volume-producing vine that gives birth to fragrant and usually high-acid wines ranging from dry to medium sweet. Known as Steen in South Africa.

  • Roussanne

    An elegant varietal of the French Rhone, often blended with its sister, Marsanne.

  • Sauvignon/Fume Blanc

    Sauvignon Blanc is taut, supple and herbal. With high acidity and aromas of tea, meadow and green herb, Sauvignon Blanc has a suitable name derived from the French "sauvage", meaning "wild".

  • Semillon

    In Bordeaux and California, Semillon is often blended with Sauvignon Blanc. Because of its lean tartness Sauvignon Blanc is quite the opposite of Semillon - and, as they say, "Opposites attract." Outside Bordeaux, Semillon is becoming quite popular in Australia.