Recipes

Arancini

Andrea Buckett's Arancini Andrea Buckett's Arancini (The Good Stuff)

Transform your weeknight dinners with this effortless Mary Berg recipe and the must-have kitchen gadgets that make cooking a breeze.

Ingredients

  • ---FOR THE RISOTTO---
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ¼ cup finely diced celery
  • ¼ cup finely chopped carrot
  • ¼ cup finely chopped onion
  • 1 cup arborio rice
  • ½ cup white wine
  • 3 ½ cups chicken stock, warmed
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 45g Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped, flat leaf parsley
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • ---FOR THE QUICK BEEF RAGU---
  • 200g lean ground beef
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ¼ teaspoon chili flakes
  • ¼ cup red wine
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • ---FOR THE ARANCINI---
  • 1 batch of chilled risotto (about 3 cups)
  • 2 eggs
  • ¾ cup Italian breadcrumbs
  • 45g grated Parmigiano Reggiano + more for garnish
  • 1 batch quick beef ragu
  • Optional fillings - green peas
  • 2 litres of vegetable oil for frying
  • 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
  • Warm Marinara sauce for serving
  • Basil for garnish

Directions

For the Risotto

  1. To make the risotto add the olive oil to a shallow pan set over medium heat. Add the celery, carrots and onion and sweat for 3 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Stir in the rice and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, to toast the rice slightly.
  2. Stir in the white wine and continue to stir until the wine is mostly evaporated.
  3. Add a couple ladles of warm chicken stock to just cover the rice. Bring the liquid to a simmer and stir occasionally. Ladle more chicken stock over the rice as the broth reduces and no longer covers the rice. Continue in this manner for about 18 minutes until the rice is cooked to al dente.
  4. Stir in the butter and Parmigiano cheese. Set aside to cool
  5. Transfer the rice to a food safe container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

For the Quick Beef Ragu

  1. To make the ragu. Add the ground beef to a frying pan set over medium heat. Cook, breaking up the beef into small bits, until the beef is almost cooked through, about 6 minutes.
  2. Stir in the tomato paste and garlic and cook for another minute to to temper the flavour of the tomato paste. Add the red wine. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce is nice and tight and most of the liquid has been absorbed by the meat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

For the Arancini

  1. Remove the risotto from the fridge.
  2. To a mixing bowl, add the risotto, two eggs, breadcrumbs and grated Parmigiano. Mix everything together until everything is well combined.
  3. Spray a ⅓ cup measure with cooking spray and portion the rice mixture into 10 third cup portions .
  4. Place one portion in the palm of your hand and create an indentation in the rice. Add a scant tablespoon of the ragu to the indentation along with a couple peas. Close the rice up around the ragu and pea filling and roll it into a ball. Set on a baking sheet. Continue with the remaining rice portions.
  5. Add the vegetable oil to a medium, heavy bottomed pot. Heat over medium until the oil is at 350°F.
  6. Pour the bread crumbs into a shallow bowl. Working one at a time, roll the rice balls in the breadcrumbs, pressing them into the rice ball to ensure they stick. Place back on the baking sheet.
  7. Place a layer of paper towels on a second baking sheet.
  8. Once the oil is at temperature, add 4-5 arancini to the oil (don’t overcrowd the pot). Fry for about 6-8 minutes until golden brown. Once cooked , transfer the arancini to the paper towel lined baking sheet.
  9. To serve. Spread some marinara sauce over the bottom of a plate and top with the arancini. Garnish with Parmigiano. Garnish with Basil