Spinach Risotto Balls (Spinach Arancini)

Ingredients

In this recipe, we are essentially making a lovely Risotto first. We’ll refrigerate it overnight or up to 24 hours to firm it up. It’s a wonderful way to use leftover Risotto! Here’s some tips: you can use the spinach while it is frozen. If it does defrost, squeeze out the water and pack the cup measure according to how much spinach you would like. In regards to the eggs, if you are using farm fresh eggs, add about a Tablespoon of water to them when you are whisking. The yolks are so protein rich that a little water helps to make the eggs less thick. For the wine, I use a dry Sicilian white wine such as La Segreta. Chardonnay works also. And last, add the broth in slowly, waiting until the risotto mixture thickens a bit before adding the next cupful.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (I use Sicilian Sunset for its artichoky taste)
• 1 cup minced onion
• 3 T. minced garlic
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
• 1 cup white wine*
• 4 cups vegetable broth, heated
• 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 2 cups frozen chopped spinach
• 2 T. unsalted butter
• 3 T. chopped fresh basil
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 t. cayenne pepper
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups Japanese bread crumbs (panko)
• Canola Oil

Procedure

Method

Heat the olive oil in a 2-quart sautéing pan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes, just until translucent but not browned. Add the rice and the wine; cook until the liquid is reduced. Add the broth one cup at a time, let the rice reduce and thicken a bit, then add another cup and so forth. This will take about 15 – 20 minutes. Stir in the grated cheese, the spinach and the butter. Then add the basil and pepper to taste.

When you are going to use the Spinach Risotto, prepare three shallow bowls. In the first one, combine the flour and the cayenne, stirring to mix well. Place the eggs in the second bowl and whisk thoroughly. In the third bowl, place the panko crumbs. Roll the spinach mixture into 1-inch balls. Dip the balls in the flour, then the egg and then the panko crumbs. Place these on a cookie sheet until you have enough to place in the heated canola oil

In a large heavy pan, heat 1/4 inch of canola oil to 350 degrees. Fry the spinach balls until golden brown. Remove and place on a paper-towel lined cookie sheet to drain. Serve hot or slightly warm. Really great with Roasted Red Pepper Aioli or a Chipotle Sauce. Enjoy!

*Note that you may have to add more of each of the three mixtures at some point to have enough flour mixture, egg wash, and panko crumbs for all the Arancini balls.