Red Wine & Swiss Chard Arancini
with Gorgonzola Dip

A not so traditional recipe for filling arancini including red wine, Swiss chard and Mozzarella.

Ingredients

300g arborio rice
1 chopped onion
1 finely sliced clove of garlic
300g swiss chard
80g parmesan or grana padano
1/2L red wine (for example Primitivo)
1/2L vegetable stock
mozzarella
bread crumbs (for coating)
frying oil
butter, olive oil
salt, pepper

gorgonzola cheese
cream


Method

  1. Melt butter with a little bit of oil in a pot. Cook onion till soft.

  2. Add rice and stir till coated with oil & butter.

  3. Add about 200 - 250 ml of red wine to the rice and cook till nearly evaporated.

  4. Next add swiss chard and cook it down for a couple of minutes.

  5. Next add warm stock ladle by ladle till evaporated. This takes about 15 to 20 minutes or until rice is nearly cooked.

  6. Add another 250 ml of wine (if needed) and salt for seasoning and finish cooking the rice.

  7. Once rice is cooked add parmesan cheese and pepper.

  8. Mix everything and taste for seasoning. Once you are happy with the flavor spread mixture on a tray and put into the fridge to cool completely.

  9. Form balls and add a piece of mozzarella in the middle. (Watch video to see how to form arancini)

  10. Once you formed all your arancini it is time to coat them.

  11. Season bread crumbs with salt and pepper. Coat arancini balls in bread crumbs.

  12. Heat up oil to 170 degrees Celsius.

  13. Fry arancini in batches so the oil does not drop in temperature.

  14. Fry for about 8 minutes or until golden brown.

  15. Place arancini on a rack to cool.

  16. For the dip add cream to a pot and add gorgonzola. Melt on a medium heat till combined.

  17. Enjoy!

 
 

You have some left over risotto - this is what you should do with it. Some crunchy, cheese, deep fired goodness!