Recipe Lamb sausage, goat cheese, and herb risotto balls (arancini)

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Lamb sausage, goat cheese and herb risotto balls (arancini)

Arancini - Wikipedia
Arancini derives from the Sicilian plural diminutive of aranciu ('orange'), from their shape and colour which, after cooking, is reminiscent of an orange.[3]

This is my spin on arancini, an Italian snack food that varies from region to region with the fillings, but basically it is a stuffed risotto ball that is breaded and deep fried. I could not find a recipe for exactly what I wanted to do, so I just went with my instincts, having never made arancini before. The results were far better than I ever expected. The al dente risotto with wine, lemon, and parmesan accents gave the bites a nice chew, and the delicate texture of the lamb mixed with the creamy goat cheese and fresh herbs was absolutely delicious. I hope you like them as much as my husband and I did!

Yields approximately 16-18 arancini balls (depending on size)
Preparation time: approximately 3 hours (some of this will be down time while items are chilling in between various steps)

Ingredients for filling:
4-6 ounces of lamb sausage (2 links) Recipe - Herbed lamb sausage (no casings)
1 TBSP finely chopped fresh dill
1 TBSP finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
4 ounces of chevre (goat cheese)

Ingredients for risotto:
2.5 cups chicken stock/broth
1 TBSP mashed roasted garlic
2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tsp lemon juice
1 cup grated parmesan
salt and pepper (to taste)

Ingredients for breading:
1/2 cup all purpose (AP) flour
2 eggs
1 TBSP water
1 and 1/2 cup panko and regular bread crumbs mixed (equal portions)
salt and pepper
oil for frying (I used peanut oil, but canola or vegetable oil will work fine)

Ingredients for dipping sauce:
1 and 1/2 cups of tomato sauce
2 TBSP heavy cream
1 tsp red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Step 1:
Brown the lamb sausage, breaking it up into small pieces. Set this pan aside and do not put in the sink--you will be deglazing this pan with white wine to add to the risotto in step 2. Place the cooked ground lamb in a mixing bowl with the fresh herbs and goat cheese, mixing together thoroughly. Cover and put in the refrigerator to chill.

Step 2:
Bring the chicken stock/broth to a boil in a sauce pan, then turn down to simmer. In a large saucepan or frypan, heat the olive oil on medium heat. Cook the garlic for about 1 minute and stir in the arborio rice, coating with olive oil. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring a few times, and take off the heat momentarily. Deglaze the pan that the lamb sausages were cooked in with white wine on medium-high heat. Add the wine into the arborio rice pan and return to heat. Cook until nearly absorbed. Begin adding chicken broth/stock, 1 ladle at a time, stirring frequently but not constantly. It will take approximately 20-25 minutes to cook the rice to al dente. Stir in the lemon juice and parmesan cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. Spread the risotto into a thin layer on a parchment lined tray or baking sheet. Place uncovered in the refrigerator for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Step 3:
While the rice is cooling, make the dipping sauce. Add the tomato sauce, heavy cream, and red pepper flake to a saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover with lid and set aside.

Step 4:
Line a tray with parchment paper. Remove the risotto rice and lamb, goat cheese, and herb mixture from the refrigerator. Place a spoonful of risotto in the palm of your hand and smooth out into a thin layer. Add a scoop of the lamb/cheese/herb mixture, and enclose the risotto around the mixture tightly, completely encapsulating the lamb mixture. Place the risotto balls on the parchment paper, and repeat until finished. Place the tray in the refrigerator to chill for about 20 minutes.

Step 5:
Whisk the eggs with a TBSP of water. Prepare a breading station with the flour and bread crumbs on either side of the egg wash. Place a tray lined with parchment paper at the end to place the breaded risotto balls (I am left handed so I worked from left to right with the flour bowl to my far left). Lightly salt and pepper the bowls with the flour and bread crumbs. Roll each risotto ball into the flour (shake off excess), roll into the egg wash (allow excess egg to drip into bowl), and coat with the breadcrumbs, then set each on the parchment lined tray. Place the tray into the refrigerator to chill for at least 15-20 minutes (this can be done well in advance, up to 3 hours before frying).

Step 6:
On a back burner, return the dipping sauce to the stovetop on a very low heat to warm. Prepare the frying oil in a large 10"-12" frying pan (about 2-3 inches of oil deep). Bring the oil to 350F. Fry in small batches of 4-6 at a time. As each ball turns a light golden brown color underneath (approximately 3 minutes) gently roll them over and finish cooking. Remove them and place on a large tray lined with paper towels and fry batches until complete.

Step 7:
Ladle a layer of the dipping sauce on a plate and place the risotto balls on top. Garnish with additional fresh herbs if desired.

Notes:
After frying the arancini balls, they could be kept warm in the oven at a low heat for half an hour or so until ready to serve. I found that the leftovers reheated in my toaster oven quite well and the breading remained crisp. This recipe is completely customizable, so different fillings (mozzarella is more traditional) and different herbs would work quite well (I think green onion/spring onion would work nicely). Use your imagination! Also, different dipping sauces could be used, but the spicy tomato cream sauce I chose complemented the flavors quite nicely.

 

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Here are a few additional photos since I am limited to only 6 per post: