Ingredients
450g can sliced beetroot
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra, to deep-fry
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 cup arborio rice
250ml dry white wine
500ml chicken stock, heated
25g parmesan, finely grated
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp dried oregano
Sea-salt akes and freshly ground black pepper, to season
2 Tbsp finely chopped basil leaves, plus extra leaves, to serve
50g firm mozzarella (not fresh bocconcini style), cut into 28 x 1cm cubes
1⁄2 cup plain flour
4 free-range eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
Aioli, to serve
Method
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Drain beetroot, reserving 3⁄4 cup of the liquid and transfer liquid to a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Bring to the boil then remove from heat and cover with a lid to keep warm.
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Meanwhile, finely chop 1⁄4 cup of the beetroot slices and set aside.
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Heat oil in a large heavy- based saucepan over a medium heat. Add onion, garlic and rice, cooking until rice begins to turn translucent and onion is soft. Stir in chopped beetroot and pour in wine. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until wine has almost absorbed. Pour in hot stock mixture and reserved beetroot liquid, 1⁄2 cup at a time, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Only add more once stock has been absorbed. Continue stirring until all stock has been used. This should take about 20 minutes in total.
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Stir in parmesan, lemon zest and oregano. Season and set aside for 20 minutes to cool. Transfer risotto to a large bowl and refrigerate overnight to cool completely.
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Stir in basil then roll 1 Tbsp of the risotto into a ball. Repeat with remaining mixture to make 28 balls. Push a mozzarella cube into each ball and re-roll to seal
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Put flour, eggs and breadcrumbs in separate bowls. Working in 3 batches, toss risotto balls in flour, shake off excess then coat in egg, shake off excess and roll in crumbs until completely coated. Repeat
to give balls a second coating of egg and crumbs.
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Arrange arancini on freezer-proof trays in a single layer and freeze for 6 hours or overnight until frozen solid. Transfer to a labelled large zip-lock bag and freeze for up to 2 months.
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On the day:
Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 2 oven trays with baking paper. Pour extra oil into a small saucepan until 4cm deep. Heat to 180°C on a cook’s thermometer, or until a cube of bread turns golden in 30 seconds. From frozen, cook arancini in 3 batches for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to prepared trays.
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Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is hot and oozy. Serve scattered with salt, extra basil and aioli on the side.
