Balls. Yup, just balls.  Only reason you’ll need. So after a few attempts with the risotto recipe, you may have found it doesn’t always come out so brilliantly.  But you don’t want to waste your ingredients.  The rice is a little too crunchy, or the final product was a thick and heavy blob of cement.  These things happen, at least they happened to me more than a few times.  So when I found out that I could turn my fuckup into a really tasty drunk munchie I was more than a little pleased.

Frying can be a little tricky, but that shouldn’t discourage you.  Just be CAREFUL since hot oil can really ruin an evening, especially if people have been drinking and I decide to jerk the pot with just a little too much enthusism resulting in torrent of inapprioprate language and screaming.  What you need is fresh oil (Veg/Canola/Peanut are all fine, veg being healthiest) and a temperature of about 250 degrees (most stoves that’s medium to medium low).

Serve with sauce of your choice.  A pesto mayo or aioli would be a good dip, but for my money, making a simple marinera sauce with tomato paste and a few spices pairs perfectly with the fried exterior and gooey inside.

Ingredients:

bowl of chilled risotto (at least an hour in the fridge after being cooked)
1 egg
1/2 cup of bread crumbs or panko
cheese of your choice (goat, mozzarella, fontina all work great)
3 cups vegtable oil

Dipping sauce:
1 medium shallot
1 clove garlic
3 big spoonfuls of tomato paste
splash of white wine (1/4 cup)
salt/pepper
pinch cayenne pepper
pinch cumin

Radiohead – In Rainbows

Bring your oil to about 250 degrees in a pan.  This is usually around medium – medium low heat.  I always check the heat by dropping in  a couple little pieces of risotto into the oil.  If the rice immediately starts to fry and bubble and doesn’t turn black right away or smoke, the heat is good.  If nothing really happens, turn the heat up a notch or two.

Also prep some dipping bowls with your egg wash and bread crumbs.

Ball up the risotto in the palm of your hand. I prefer to make them smaller and bite sized, but it’s completely up to you.  Just be sure to adjust the amount of time in the fryer.

Make an indentation in the ball and drop in a peice of cheese.

Cover and reshape the ball until nice and round.  Dip in the egg wash and then roll throughly in the breadcrumbs.

Into the fryer they go, working in batches.  Get some paper towels ready to drop the balls on once out of the fryer.

About 4-5 minutes on each side or until golden.  Be sure to keep an eye on them.  If your heat is too high they can burn easily.  Not the end of the world, but not as pretty either.

Once your first batch goes in, you can start on your sauce.  A little oil in a medium hot pan, onion and garlic sauteed.  Tomato paste added with the wine to thin it.  Drop your heat to med-low

Stir until wine is absorbed/reduced and sauce thins out.  Add your spices and stir until you’re happy with the seasonings.  Add more cayenne or salt if necessary.  Keep an eye on it until the balls are done.

Plate your balls, add your sauce and dig the fuck in.

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