Arancini (risotto balls)

Heat 2 tbs oil and 1 tbs butter in a heavy-base frying pan. Once the oil is warm, add the risotto rice and stir-fry for two minutes. Add the wine and cook for a minute. Now add the hot chicken stock half a cup at a time. This is not a puppy you can walk away from, you need to stir it throughout the cooking process. Make sure all the liquid has been absorbed before you add the next cup. (Very NB, you need to cook this over a medium-low heat. If your plate’s too hot, the rice will cook on the outside and start collapsing while it’s still rock-hard inside. Perfect risotto is creamy with a slight al dente firmness in the middle.)

Once all the stock has been absorbed, remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan. Taste for salt and give it a grinding of fresh black pepper. Scoop risotto onto a large plate to help it cool down faster. Once it’s reached room temperature, you can pop it in the fridge for an hour or two to firm up. (You can see why leftover risotto is so handy, so next time you make it, make double with a view to arancini the next day!) For the filling, melt the butter in the oil and add the onion. Fry for a few minutes over a medium-low heat. Now add the garlic and rosemary and fry for a minute. Then add 3tbs water, turn the heat right down, place the lid on and cook until the onions are glistening, soft and sweet.

Once your risotto is ice cold and set, you can make the balls. There are many ways of doing this, but my clingfilm trick makes it foolproof! Simply take one tbs of risotto and shape it into a ball. Repeat with another tbs so you have two equal-sized balls. Make a slight indent in the middle of each ball with your thumb. Place a bit of onion and a small block of cheese in the one indentation. Place the other ball (indentation-side down) over the ball holding the filling. Squeeze together lightly. Now place this ball in a square of cling film and twist it to close. The more you twist, the tighter the ball will be compressed, ensuring there is no chance of it falling apart during frying! Unwrap and smooth out any of the plastic press marks. Roll ball in flour and shake off excess, dip into egg and then roll it in the biscuit crumbs. Repeat until you have used all the risotto and filling. Chill balls in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up again. Then deep-fry over a medium heat until the balls are crisp on the outside and the cheese melted on the inside. Serve warm with a warm tomato-basil sauce (see below) for dipping.