Arancini bites and procrastibaking

The job applying is about to start. I’ve updated my Linkedin, my CV and I’ve had my hair done. I am interview ready…I just need to apply for jobs now! It is with great trepidation that I throw myself (yet again) into the world of job seeking. I would happily stay unemployed in order to bake all day and blog all night, but one needs to have some form of income! I want a job, I am excited about the prospect of a new job…I just don’t like this initial part where I have to put myself out there to be rejected or worse, ignored.

Enter: procrastibaking!

Healthy arancini bites

Rice:

• 1 cup arborio rice
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1/4  cup lemon juice*
• 2 tablespoons very finely chopped parsley
• 1 cup cheese, (I used half parmesan, half cheddar)
• 1 egg

Coating:

• 2 eggs
• 2 cups breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 180°C

Put your rice into a large pan and add in the rice, chicken stock and lemon juice. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to the water. Bring the mixture to a boil over a high heat and then turn it down to a simmer.

It should take about 20 minutes for rice to be nice and creamy. Ensure you give it a good stir every now and then to avoid it sticking. While you’re waiting for the rice to simmer down, chop up your parsley and grate your cheese.

When the rice is creamy take it off the stove and add in the parsley, cheese and ONE egg. The other two eggs are for later!

Set the rice aside to cool completely before you ball it. While you’re waiting for the rice to cool grab two bowls and a dinner plater – whisk the remaining two eggs in one bowl and pour the breadcrumbs in the other. Leave the dinner plate free.

When the rice is cooled, grab a tablespoon and heap the mixture onto it, then roll a ball between the spoon and your palm. This gets a little bit sticky, it’s best to wash the mixture off your hands every now and then. I’m pretty sure arancini are traditionally larger than these little bites, but having them this size makes them easier to serve in a household as packed to the rafters as mine.

Roll your balls in the beaten egg and then the breadcrumbs, then transfer them onto the dinner plate. When you’ve rolled all of them (you should get 18-20) pop them into the fridge for 20-30 minutes.

When you get the uncooked arancini from the fridge, heat some vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and shallow fry each ball, turning them so that they get an even crust. Remove them from the pan after 2 minutes and transfer them into a lightly greased baking tin.

Bake for 45 minutes – the shells will have dried out slightly by this point, I like to think this means that they’re healthier for you. The mix of lemon and parsley is delightfully fresh, it also makes me feel as though they’re not completely bad for you…

Serve with one pot basil pasta and eggplant pizza for the ultimate vegetarian feast! (you’d have to substitute chicken stock for vegie, obviously.) Recipes for these coming soon!

*many risottos will call for white wine, but I like the tang that lemon juice adds to the creaminess of this recipe. Truth be told, I’d also polished off  the white wine in the house before realising I’d need it for this recipe!