Paella Arancini Food

PAELLA ARANCINI

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a 10-inch (25-cm) paella pan, a large wok, or a wide Dutch oven and cook the garlic over low heat for 5 minutes until softened. Add the tomato, paprika, and a little salt and black pepper, and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the prawns or shrimp, then the rice. Add the stock, bring to the boil and simmer gently for about 20 minutes over low heat, until the rice is al dente and the stock absorbed. Let cool to room temperature and then cover and refrigerate the paella for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, gently fry the almonds and hazelnuts in a large saucepan with 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat until golden, then remove with a slotted spoon. Add the garlic to the pan and cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Then add the tomato to the pan and cook for 5 minutes more. Transfer the tomato mixture to a blender or food processor, add the nuts, bread and red pepper, and blend until smooth, about 30 seconds. With the blender still running, gradually add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil and the vinegar until a smooth sauce forms. Add the Espelette or cayenne pepper and salt to taste.
• Beat 1 egg and work it into the chilled rice mixture until combined. Shape into 20 balls about the size of golf balls.
• Beat the other 2 eggs in a shallow dish. Place the flour and breadcrumbs in separate small bowls. Dust each ball lightly with flour, dip into the egg and then coat with breadcrumbs.
• Pour enough sunflower oil in a wok or saucepan to measure about 2 inches (5 cm) in depth. Heat it until a cube of bread added to the oil crisps in 20 seconds, then add the arancini in batches of 5 or 6 at a time. Fry the arancini, turning them occasionally, until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels or a brown paper bag. Place on a warmed serving dish. Repeat with the remaining arancini.
• Serve the paella arancini as soon as possible with the romesco sauce in a dish on the side.

ARANCINI BALLS

Steps:

• Heat the oil and butter in a saucepan until foamy. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and fry gently over a low heat for 15 mins, or until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another min. Stir in the rice and cook for a further min, then pour in the wine. Bring to the boil and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Pour in half the stock and simmer, stirring continuously, until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add the remaining stock a ladleful at a time as the rice absorbs the liquid, stirring, until the rice is cooked through (this should take about 20-25 mins). Stir in the parmesan and lemon and season to taste. Spread the risotto out into a lipped tray and leave to cool to room temperature.
• Scoop the cooled risotto into 18 equal portions - they should be slightly larger than a golf ball. Flatten a risotto ball in your hand and put a piece of the mozzarella in the centre, then enclose the cheese in the rice and roll it into a ball. Repeat with the remaining risotto balls.
• Put the flour, eggs and breadcrumbs into three separate shallow bowls. Dip each prepared risotto ball into the flour, followed by the eggs and finally, the breadcrumbs. Transfer to a tray and set aside.
• Half-fill a large, heavy-based saucepan with vegetable oil and heat over medium-low until it reads 170C on a cooking thermometer or until a piece of bread turns golden brown in the oil within 45 seconds. Lower the risotto balls into the oil in batches and cook for 8-10 mins, or until golden brown and melted in the centre. Set aside on a tray lined with a clean kitchen towel.
• Eat the arancini warm, or serve with a basic tomato sauce for dipping.

PAELLA ARANCINI RECIPE

Steps:

• In a medium sauté pan over medium heat, cook the sausage until browned, about 2 minutes. Remove the cooked sausage from the pan with a slotted spoon and let drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Chop the sausage into a ¼-inch dice. Add the onion, bell peppers and garlic to the same pan and cook until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, paprika and saffron and cook, stirring continuously, until the tomato paste has caramelized, about 2 minutes. Stir in the rice and mix thoroughly, then add the white wine and cook until completely absorbed, about 1 minute. Reduce the heat to low and add the chicken stock. Gently move the rice mixture with a spatula to evenly distribute the stock and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
• Place the cooked sausage, shrimp and clams evenly over the rice mixture and continue to simmer over low heat until the seafood has been cooked through, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the cooked seafood and let cool in the refrigerator.
• Continue to cook the rice over low heat until all of the stock has been absorbed and the rice is tender, about 5 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then spread over a parchment-lined tray and refrigerate until cool. Once the seafood is cool enough to handle, remove the shells from the shrimp and clams and discard. Roughly chop the clams and shrimp and fold into the cooled rice mixture. With a 1-inch ice cream scoop, form the chilled rice mixture into balls and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
• In a medium saucepan, heat the oil to 350°. Add the flour to a shallow baking dish or cake pan. Put the panko breadcrumbs in a second shallow baking dish. In a third shallow baking dish, whisk together the eggs with ¼ cup of water until well combined. Dip each ball in the flour, rolling to coat, then dip into the beaten egg, allowing the excess egg to drip off. Finally, roll in the balls in breadcrumbs, shaking to remove any excess. Return the dredged balls to the parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Add arancini to the hot oil in small batches and fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown on all sides, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels and season with salt. Serve warm.