Ingredients

• 4 vacumn packed cooked beetroots

• 1 block of goat’s cheese

• 300g of Arborio rice

• 1 brown onion

• 1/2 bottle of dry white wine

• 700ml of hot Chicken stock

• 4 cloves of garlic

• 100g Parmesan cheese

• Olive oil

• 1 knob of butter

• Salt

• Black pepper

• 1 egg

• 1 pack of breadcrumbs

• 200ml Mayonnaise

• 1 clove of garlic

• 2 lemons

• Oil for frying

• Rocket leaves – for serving

 

Directions

1. Puree the beetroots using a food processor or hand blender with a tall jug.
   
   Note: beware you do not want to splatter yourself with beetroot, make sure the jug can contain the beetroot or blend one at a time to be safe) Set the blended beetroot to the side.
    

2. In a large pan melt the butter and a good splodge of olive oil. Sauté finely chopped garlic and onion in the oil. Add the Arborio rice and fry for 2-3 minutes until the rice has really soaked up the oil and butter and starts to stick a little on the pan. Add the wine and cook until all of the liquid has been absorbed.
    

3. Gradually add some stock, around 100-200mls at a time stirring continually over a medium heat.
   
   Note: Having hot stock really reduces the cooking time as it takes less time for your saucepan to reheat the cold stock. 
    

4. Add your purreed beetroot and simmer until liquid is absorbed. Then add 100-200mls of your stock and stir over the medium heat. Repeat until all your stock is used or your rice is cooked. This takes approximately 20 minutes.
   
   Note: gradually adding the stock enables you to judge how much liquid you need. Each dish is different and requires your judgement. for this recipe you want the rissotto to be on the drier side. So don't add to much liquid all at once, you want to add enough stock so that the rice comes together and the grain cooks through. Once the grain has cooked through stop adding your stock. for me this at 750ml.
    

5. Season with salt, pepper and parmesan. Allow to cool until it can be handled.
   
   Note: I cooked mine the day before and stored it in the fridge over night. This makes it easier to handle the mixture.
    

6. Crack the egg on a small plate and whisk lightly. On a second plate pour the breadcrumbs. Cut up the goat’s cheese into small cubes.
    

7. Roll the risotto into balls roughly the size of ping pong balls.
    

8. Push a cube of goats cheese into the centre of each risotto ball and re-shape. Roll the balls in the egg and then in the breadcrumbs.
    

9. Heat a large pan of rice bran oil or vegetable oil and shallow fry them until golden brown.
    

10. In a small bowl add mayonnaise and stir the zest of two lemons, the crushed garlic and the juice of half a lemon. Season to taste.
     

11. Serve the arancini on a bed of rocket and drizzle with the lemon mayo.