Ingredients
Method
- 1. Place the dried (porcini) mushrooms in a small bowl and just
cover with 250ml of boiling water. Let them soak and soften
for 15 minutes. Remove from the liquid, squeeze out the excess
water and finely chop the mushrooms. Retain the liquid, as this
lovely mushroom-flavoured stock is wonderful added in when
you are cooking the rice.
- 2. To make the risotto, melt 40g butter in a large heavy-based pan
over a medium heat. Add the risotto rice and mix well to ensure
that all the rice grains are coated with butter. Add the wine and
stir until it has been absorbed by the rice. Add 100ml of the
vegetable stock and stir gently. Once the vegetable stock has been
absorbed, add 100ml of the mushroom stock. Continue adding
the stocks like this until all of them have been absorbed and the
rice is almost cooked. Add the saffron (if using). This will take
20–25 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add 60g of butter and
stir well. You can serve the risotto just like this if you like.
- 3. In a separate pan, add the remaining 20g butter and sauté the
onion, thyme and mushrooms over a medium heat for 5 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper. Then add the onion mixture into the
risotto and stir well. Place the risotto back over a medium heat and
continue cooking until the rice is fully cooked (about 5 minutes).
Stir in the cheese and season with salt and pepper, as desired.
Finally, add the cooked peas, if using. Remove from heat and leave
to cool completely. Overnight is ideal.
- 4. To make small risotto balls, gather an amount of cold risotto
roughly the size of a table-tennis ball and work it into a ball using
the palms of your hands. Go for a golf-ball-sized amount to make
larger arancini. Then dip in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs.
Place on a tray or plate and transfer to the fridge to firm up for
30 minutes.
- 5. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. (Alternatively
you can use a deep fat fryer heated to 180°C). Deep-fry the balls,
in batches, for 5 to 6 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to
kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil. Serve the arancini immediately.