Vegetable, pine nut & cheese arancini

Name: Vegetable, pine nut & cheese arancini
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 300 g leftover cooked risotto or any sticky rice (not basmati or long grain); 150 g cooked vegetables, roughly chopped (try a mix of pumpkin and mushroom or broccoli and spinach); 25 g pine nuts, toasted and chopped; 30 g Parmigiano Reggiano or other hard cheese, grated (optional); 50 g mozzarella or feta cheese, cut into 4 or 12 cubes; 1 tbsp any leftover pesto, harissa or olive tapenade; 2 British Blacktail Eggs (any size), beaten; 2 tbsp flour, seasoned; 100 g breadcrumbs; Vegetable oil, for deep drying

This recipe, inspired by a recipe by Mary Gwynn, can be filled with any combination of vegetables you have in the fridge. Choose from leftover pesto, harissa and tapendade, too.

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Makes4
CourseStarter
Prepare15 mins
Cook10 mins
Total time25 mins
Pluschilling

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300g leftover cooked risotto or any sticky rice (not basmati or long grain)
150g cooked vegetables, roughly chopped (try a mix of pumpkin and mushroom or broccoli and spinach)
25g pine nuts, toasted and chopped
30g Parmigiano Reggiano or other hard cheese, grated (optional)
50g mozzarella or feta cheese, cut into 4 or 12 cubes
1 tbsp any leftover pesto, harissa or olive tapenade
2 British Blacktail Eggs (any size), beaten
2 tbsp flour, seasoned
100g breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil, for deep drying

Mix the rice with the vegetables, pine nuts and Parmigiano (if using risotto and it already has a cheese in it, omit the cheese here). Check the seasoning.
Using damp hands to stop the mixture sticking, mould it into 4 large or 12 mini balls. Press a cube of mozzarella or feta into the centre of each, add a bit of pesto or other sauce and press to seal inside the rice. Chill until ready to use.
Place the eggs, flour and breadcrumbs in three shallow dishes in a row. Dip the arancini into flour, then egg and finally crumbs to coat all over. Repeat the egg and breadcrumb coating to give a thick crust.
Heat the oil in a large heavy-based pan or deep-fat fryer until it reaches 170ºC, or a cube of bread sizzles and browns in 30 seconds. Cook the arancini, in batches, for 3-6 minutes depending on their size, until golden and crisp. Drain thoroughly on kitchen paper. Keep warm while you cook the rest. Enjoy warm on their own or with a fresh tomato sauce.

Typical values per item when made using specific products in recipe