ISO- Arancini tips

[college_cook]

In addition to the city government's chili cookoff, tonight I find out that my darling fiance has signed me up to cook for the staff party. Not that I mind, but I just wish I had more notice.

So I wanted to do something that would be easy to serve and easy for people to eat, and also vegetarian since many of the animal shelter staff don't eat meat, and I came up with Arancini.

I understand the concept behind making them, and am just wondering if there are any pitfalls I should look out for? I'm going to make a cheese-flavored risotto for the balls, and fill them with just a little more cheese and shiitake mushrooms. For a sauce I want to make a sort of creamy chanterelle sauce.

This course of action isn't set in stone at all, and I'd welcome any Arancini recipes that you all like. I found some good ones by Googling already, but it never hurts to have more.

Oh- and if anyone could recommend a type of cheese that they think goes well with chanterelles and shiitakes, I'd really appreciate that. Thanks!

[*amy*]

I don't know how much help I can be, as my recipe has prosciutto. However, re the cheese, how about goat cheese? Perhaps a filling of mushrooms and/or shrimp. Tips - refrigerate the blls, work w wet hands, work fast, try to get as much filling in and use as little rice -- just my two cents.

This is not Arancini, but you might like this one to go with/mix them up:

Vegtaballs-

Instead of the Tomato/Basil/Mayo for the vegtaballs, you could serve them with tzatziki.

[kadesma]

Were I doing this, I'd add some fresh finely chopped parsley to my risotto, then make into the balls,make a well in the center and add a mixture of a creamy cheese say some finely diced mozzarella and some parmesan and finely diced prosciuto, close the rice around the filling and I'd roll the balls first in flour and then in bread crumbs, then I'd fry them in some evoo, mixed with reg. olive oil til golden and crisp, drain on paper towels..You can keep them warm in a 200 oven up to 20 min.. Hope this helps a little. When doing this kep you hands damp and the ice won't stick to you as much..It makes it easier to roll them.
kadesma

[*amy*]

Originally Posted by kadesma

Were I doing this, I'd add some fresh finely chopped parsley to my risotto, then make into the balls,make a well in the center and add a mixture of a creamy cheese say some finely diced mozzarella and some parmesan and finely diced prosciuto, close the rice around the filling and I'd roll the balls first in flour and then in bread crumbs, then I'd fry them in some evoo, mixed with reg. olive oil til golden and crisp, drain on paper towels..You can keep them warm in a 200 oven up to 20 min.. Hope this helps a little. When doing this kep you hands damp and the ice won't stick to you as much..It makes it easier to roll them.
kadesma

That's almost my exact recipe, but didn't post it, because of the prosciutto - serving vegetarians.

[kadesma]

Originally Posted by *amy*

That's almost my exact recipe, but didn't post it, because of the prosciutto - serving vegetarians.

I just realized that but the prosciutto can be left out and the two cheeses would work beautifully.Thanks for letting me know..
kades

[*amy*]

Originally Posted by kadesma

I just realized that but the prosciutto can be left out and the two cheeses would work beautifully.Thanks for letting me know..
kades

Great idea!

Another way to go is combining the cheese(s), seasonings & rice all together w/o making the well for the cheese filling, forming into balls - then dipping - then chilling.