Arancini is best made with cold rice. For that reason, we encourage you to at least cook the rice a few hours or a day ahead. Handy if you have made a risotto for tea the night before! In which case just skip the steps in the recipe.
See the Meatball Arrabbiata recipe which complements this dish >
Ingredients
- 100g arborio risotto rice, washed thoroughly
- ½ large onion, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- Sprig of thyme
- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed with the back of your knife
- 1 tsp plant based butter
- Salt and pepper
- 300ml veg stock, ready mixed with water
- 30g vegan parmesan, grated
- Splash of white wine
For the bechamel batter:
- 20g plant based butter
- 20g plain flour
- 200ml oat milk
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- Salt and pepper
For the Nduja filling:
- 50g vegan grated mozzarella
- 70g Meatless Farm Plant-Based Mince
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Plenty of olive oil
- 2 bay leaves
- Peel of one unwaxed orange
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
Salt & pepper
- To finish:
- Panko or golden breadcrumbs
- Balsamic glaze
- Rocket
- Vegan parmesan
Method
- We begin with the risotto. If you’ve made risotto before, smash one out as you usually do. This is all about the Meatless Farm filling. On a medium heat, add olive oil and sweat off your minced onions, thyme, bay leaf and smashed garlic cloves. Allow the oil to infuse before adding your rice to the same pan. Toast the rice gently and add the wine before it starts to stick. Season well and watch the wine evaporate. Add your butter and stock, stirring gently as the little rice grains nudge each other and absorb all of that lovely flavour, topping up with water when needed. Check your rice still has a little bite, then in goes parmesan and adjust the seasoning. Tip it all onto a flat tray allowing it to cool before refrigerating for at least 2 hours.
- For the bechamel, melt butter on a medium heat and sieve in your flour. Allow the flour to cook out a little before adding your milk and whisking to incorporate everything. Watch as it thickens. Yummy! Top up with more water or milk, season and add nutmeg to finish. Set aside to cool.
- For the filling, plenty of olive oil goes into a pan and add the garlic, bay leaf, and chilli flakes. Fry for a few minutes before adding Meatless Farm mince, smoked paprika and orange peel. Cook for 5 minutes until this is looking red and flavourful then season and allow to cool. Remove the bay leaf & orange peel then transfer to a blender for a quick whizz, then pop it in a bowl on the Arancini assembly line.
- Time to stuff those balls/cones! Take your cold rice and shape into a cone with a flat bottom or a large golf ball shape. Use your finger or thumb to make an indentation and take a pinch of each cheese and mince to fill the hole. Mould the arancini to seal the gap and retain your filling inside. Once they are done, return to the fridge to chill for 5 minutes.
- Remove from the fridge and dip each Arancini into the bechamel with one hand, into the breadcrumbs with the other, rinse your hands and press the breadcrumbs in to ensure maximum coverage. At this point you can put them into the fridge overnight, or begin to cook.
- Deep fry for 8 minutes until lovely and golden or shallow fry on a high heat turning regularly for 5 minutes, then bake for 15 minutes at 180c fan oven until crispy and golden.
- Finish with grated parmesan and serve with a rocket and balsamic salad alongside your Meatless Farm Meatball arrabbiata Linguini.
SIMILAR RECIPES
There’s plenty more where this came from.
Why not try some of these delicious plant-based recipes out and Make It Meatless!
