Happy St David’s Day!
Of course, it wouldn’t be St David’s Day without tons of Welsh Cakes and a dish made out of leeks.
You’ll be glad to know that I’ve pretty much covered all bases today, I’ve had more Welsh cakes than is healthy and I’m serving up these delicious Arancini balls for dinner.
If you don’t know what Arancini is, it’s an Italian dish (I know it’s not very Welsh for St David’s day the weather has been way too nice to make cawl) that’s essentially fried rice balls. They’re typically made from leftover risotto and you can experiment with them by adding different flavours or stuffing them with tomatoes or cheese.
Now, let me tell why I love this arancini so much.
- It’s delicious
- It has peas in it
- It’s a cook once, eat twice meal so perfect for busy lives
- It’s kind of fancy without being too fancy
- It is delicious the next day when cold (just like good pizza)
When it comes to arancini you need to make the risotto first, leave the leftovers in the fridge overnight so that it gets all sticky and firm and THEN you’re ready to make your arancini balls. If you try to do it whilst the risotto is freshly cooked or still warm, it’ll fall to pieces.
When it comes to the size, that’s up to you. Personally, I make mine Maltese style and go big. But if you’re having them as a starter or as a snack, a golf ball size works well.
So first your risotto – what you’ll need:
(Serves 2)
• 300g arborio rice
• 1 leek, finely chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
• A little olive oil
• A hearty glug of white wine
• 500ml vegetable stock
• A large handful of garden peas, frozen are fine
A large handful of parmesan cheese, grated
What to do…
Begin by frying the leek and garlic together in a little olive oil. Once the leek is translucent add the rice and stir until it has been coated with oil. At this point add the wine and cook until it has been absorbed. Repeat this process with the vegetable stock.
Once the rice has become soft but retains a little bite, add the peas and cook for a few minutes longer. Stir a little oil and parmesan and remove from the heat. Pop a lid on and allow it to stand for 2-3 minutes – this is the most critical part of the risotto making process. Serve immediately.
Then part two! Your arancini balls (how many you make depends on how much risotto you’ve left and also how big you roll your balls)
What you’ll need…
- Leftover Leek and Pea risotto (about 300g)
- 150g breadcrumbs
- 1 beaten egg
- 3 tbsp flour
Method…
Preheat the oven to 180ºC
Place the breadcrumbs evenly on a baking tray and bake for around 5 minutes to toast
Place the flour and oat milk into separate dishes in preparation
Roll the leftover risotto into balls just smaller than a golf ball
Coat them one by one in the flour, then the egg then roll them in the toasted breadcrumbs
Repeat this until all your balls are made then add them to a non stick pan with 3tbsp rapeseed oil on a high heat
Keep an eye on the arancini in the pan, turning when golden brown
Once cooked add them to a place on top of kitchen roll to soak up any excess oil
I served with a salad and some fresh out of the oven garlic bread (because carbs are life).
The one thing I love about this food is that you can experiment with it, add a bit of extra wine or some different herbs – it’s so versatile. The balls also last a couple of days in the fridge and are delicious cold.
A big thanks to the British Leek Growers Association for providing me with all the ingredients to create this dish.
Happy St Davids Day to you too. I went out for a meal with my family followed by loads of welsh cakes for desert, yum x
Oh yes. Arancini balls are pure comfort food. Thinking the Welsh twist sounds perfect. I wonder if there is sweet arancini balls made with pudding rice? Bet they’re lovely.
I really suck at making risotto so I will try my best with this, it looks so good! Wish me luck!
I’ve actually never heard of this before. I’d love to try it though. Looks good!
Oh no, I dont like peas! I love leeks though and this does sound very tasty!
I’ve never tried arancini before but I do love risotto so I’ll have to give it a try!
I’ve never made Arancini on my own but your recipe is so simple and clear, so I might just give this a go
What a delicious meal! I’ll have to give this a try for St. Patrick’s Day!
Love how detailed and organized your recipe is! I’ll have to give this a shot!
These look amazing! We make risotto quite often so I will be trying this out. Thanks for sharing 🙂
This will be my kids new favorite food, it is easy to make so I might try this at home
It looks so delicious and it is easy to make as well im sure my kids will love it.
Ive never tried that dish before. It looks so easy to make and so delicious! Ill need to make it soon.
We love Italian cuisine and we love Arancini! I will definitely be trying your version and let you know how it went 😉
Ooh they do sound good! I love anything with pea, it’s one of my go to choices on a menu! These sound so tasty!
i lov ehow you describe the dish. just like pizza, it is even delish to serve even even when cold.
These look so tasty! I’ve never heard of them before so I want to give them a try soon!
Never heard of pea and leek arancini but from the picture it looks super good.
I totally learned something new today cant wait to make it and impress my family. Thanks
Am very new to Italian cuisine, this looks something better to have with the family. Thanks.
OMGeeeee! This recipe sounds delicious! I’d love to give it a whirl sometime, and it seems pretty simple to follow (so even a crap cook like me wouldn’t balls it up LOL) x
Oh I have made Arancini before without even realising it was a ‘thing’! So, so tasty! Yours look a lot neater than mine did haha!
I’ve never tried making something like this but it loos sooooo good! Will definitely have to try giving a go. 🙂
This looks like a good recipe for a date night at home. Looks yummy and elegant!