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Arancini with Spicy Vodka Dipping Sauce

Arancini with Spicy Vodka Dipping Sauce

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Course Snack
Cuisine Italian
Servings 15 pieces

Equipment

Ingredients
  

Ingredients for the Spicy Vodka Sauce:

Ingredients for the Arancini:

  • 3 ¼ cups chicken stock or water
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ¾ cup yellow onion finely diced
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 cup arborio rice
  • ½ cup dry white wine such as pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc
  • Zest from 1 lemon
  • Kosher Salt
  • 6 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese cut into ½ inch cubes
  • 1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour can substitute regular all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 2 cups gluten-free breadcrumbs can substitute regular plain Italian breadcrumbs
  • 3 cups Oil for frying Canola, Vegetable, Peanut

Instructions
 

For the Spicy Vodka Sauce

  • In a medium-sized sauce pot over low heat, heat the oil. Add the onion and garlic, cover and cook for 8 minutes, stirring once in between. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring often, for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until paste is fragrant and darkens slightly. Add vodka and cook for 30 seconds, until alcohol is evaporated. Add the diced tomatoes, stock, heavy cream, Calabrian chilies, and herbs. Turn the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, then turn back to low and partially cover, cooking for 15-17 minutes, until slightly reduced. Turn off heat.
  • Remove the bay leaf, thyme and rosemary sprigs and discard. There will be thyme and rosemary leaves that have fallen off - you can keep those in. Place into a blender with the butter and Kosher salt and puree until smooth. Taste and add more salt, if necessary.

For the Arancini

  • Place the stock (or water) in a medium-sized pot and bring to a boil, then keep warm over low heat while beginning the risotto.
  • In a large deep skillet over low heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the onion and garlic, cover, and cook for 8 minutes, stirring once or twice in between. Increase the heat to medium.
  • Add the rice, stirring constantly, until the rice feels VERY hot to the touch, about 1 minute. This is called toasting the rice and it’s important for the perfect texture, forming a crust around the grains and allowing them to absorb moisture without bursting or getting soggy.
  • Stir in the wine and cook until the rice absorbs 75% of the liquid.
  • Add 1 cup of the stock, stir and let cook until the rice looks like it’s “dancing” (a term my culinary school instructor always used that resonated with me – shout out to Chef Guido), about 8 minutes. The liquid will not be completely absorbed, but will have a thin layer of liquid on top. Add ½ cup of the stock at a time, each time stirring and cooking until the rice looks like it’s dancing. Repeat three more times and turn off the heat. Again, there should be a tiny bit of liquid left at the top of the rice.
  • Add the last 3 tablespoons of butter and the parmesan. Cover the pan and let sit for 2 minutes. Add the lemon zest and heavy cream and stir to combine. Taste and season with more salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  • Spread the risotto onto a sheet pan. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, then cover with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic is directly touching the risotto, and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to 2 days (if choosing to double or triple the recipe, cool for at least 2 hours).
  • Take a cookie scoop that is about 2 inches in diameter and scoop the risotto into balls. Place them on a parchment-lined sheet pan.
  • Take each ball in the palm of your hand and make an indent with your thumb in the center of the ball. Stick one cube of mozzarella inside and seal the risotto around it, rolling it into a sphere. Place them back on the parchment-lined sheet pan and freeze until frozen solid.
  • Pulse the breadcrumbs in a food processor until you have a finer crumb consistency then transfer to a medium-sized bowl. Place the flour into a second bowl, and then whisk together the eggs and milk in a third bowl. Mix 1/3 teaspoon of salt and 1/3 teaspoon of garlic powder into each bowl.
  • Take the frozen balls of risotto and toss each first in the flour, second in the egg mixture, and third in the breadcrumbs, making sure to coat the balls evenly with each mixture. Place back on the parchment-lines sheet pan and freeze again.
  • Fill a medium-sized pot halfway to the top with frying oil and set over medium heat. Test the heat of the oil by sprinkling in a pinch of leftover breadcrumbs. If it sizzles, it’s hot and ready to go!
  • Fry the balls in batches, making sure not to overcrowd them in the oil, until they are golden brown. Place on a plate lined with paper towels to drain any leftover oil. Serve warm with the sauce on the side.

Notes

Spicy Vodka Sauce Storage and Reheating: This can be made 1 week ahead of time OR you can freeze it for months. Just make sure to bring it to a boil before serving. Another important thing to remember is that as food sits in the refrigerator or freezer it loses its saltiness. So make sure to re-season when you reheat it. 
Risotto Storage: This risotto can sit in the refrigerator for 2 days before rolling into balls for the arancini.
Arancini Storage: After you scoop and roll the risotto into balls for the arancini, you need to freeze them to make it easier to bread them. At this point you can keep them frozen for however long you'd like, stored in an airtight container or ziplock bag, and bread them when ready. However I recommend storing them in the freezer after you have breaded them. This way, they're ready to pop in the frying oil (you can fry them from frozen). 1,2,3, easy peasy! 
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