Mushroom Aranchini
450g Aborio Rice
500ml dry cider
1.5 liters hot vegetable stock
1 tbsp picked thyme leafs
4 chopped challots
200g wild mushrooms (we used trumpets) sautéed separately
75 g butter
100g parmesan
75 g matured cheddar cut in cubes
Salt
Pepper
To start this is just like making a normal risotto. You sweat off the onions withe the herbs and seasoning until soft and glossy. Then you add the rice and continue to cook on medium heat while stirring, until the rice mixture is hot to the touch. Now it os time to add your cider. Continue to stir. Let the cider really cook out to get rid of the alcohol flavor. At this stage you can start adding the boiling hot vegetable stock. Keep stirring. Do it ladle by ladle, letting the liquid cook away before you add any more. Keep stirring. When the rice is cooked and the mixture has lost most of its liquid you can stir in the butter and parmesan and sautéed chopped mushrooms. the rice should have a very thick porridgy texture!
Let it cool on a tray until cold. At this stage you can stir in the cheddar cubes (and chopped herbs if you feel like it)
Form into nice round balls, about 25g in weight.
Toss in flour. Then in beaten egg mix. Again in flour. Back in the eggs. Finally it just needs a layer of Panko Bread crumbs before going in the fryer. We did it at 180° but not all fryers are so precise. You should try and see what works for you. Fry until golden brown.
We served ours with a lambs leaf lettuce fig chutney and walnuts.