I know it seems as if I've gone off the deep-fat end over the holidays this year... but I had some really good turkey risotto in the fridge... And warmed-up risotto just isn't the best idea in the world.
But arancini are!
These deep-fried risotto balls taste like an entirely new dish... and are easy as pie to make.
I took about 4 really heaping tablespoons of the risotto and nuked it for about 25 seconds to loosen it up. To this, I added about 1/2 a beaten egg (yes, one-half... but I used the other half in the same dinner... details below), a handful of Parmesan, a little salt and pepper... mixed it all well and formed the balls.
Now traditionally, you'd add a cube of mozzarella to the center of the ball, but I felt this meal was going to be rich enough, so I skipped that step. I rolled the balls in fresh bread crumbs, and fried them in about two inches of 350° oil for about 4 minutes, rolling them over frequently until deep brown. They drained for a bit on a rack, and I served them with a dollop of chive sour cream.
Alongside these crunchy delights, we had our favorite meatloaf burgers: 1/2 lb. good ground beef, the rest of the egg, S & P, some dried sage (from the garden), and a small shot of ketchup and sriracha. The burgers sat atop undressed arugula... and considering the components, this was a remarkably NOT heavy meal.
And it really hit the spot!