creamy tomato and mozzarella arancini, with tomato aioli

creamy tomato and mozzarella arancini, with tomato aioli: Method

1. Make the risotto. Get a large saucepan over a medium heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the diced shallot and cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes until it starts to soften. Add the crushed garlic and stir through the shallot.
2. Next, add the rice. Stir the rice through the shallot and garlic mix for 1 minute, before adding the wine. Let the wine bubble up for a further minute, so the alcohol evaporates. Add the passata and give it a stir through the rice.
3. At this point, you can start adding the stock, one ladleful at a time. With the addition of each ladle, stir into the rice until the stock has been absorbed fully absorbed into the rice, before adding another ladleful. Continue like this until all the stock has been used up. The rice at this point should be al dente – cooked, with a little bite in the middle. Add grated parmesan and mascarpone and mix through to melt into the risotto. Give it a taste and add salt if you think it needs it.
4. Line an oven tray with baking paper, then spread the risotto out onto it and cool in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
5. While the risotto is cooling, make the tomato aioli. Mix together the aioli and passata in a small bowl. Set aside.
6. Line a tray with baking paper and put the egg, flour and breadcrumbs into three separate bowls. Scoop your cooled risotto into golf ball sized pieces. Working with one at a time, flatten it with your hand, then add a piece of mozzarella into the middle. Enclose the cheese in the rice by rolling it into a ball in your hands. Set aside on the lined tray and repeat with the remaining risotto balls.
7. Dip each ball first into the flour and give it a roll around. You just want it to be a light coating, so shake off the excess before it goes into the egg bowl. Toss to coat in the egg, let the excess drip off and then transfer it to the breadcrumbs. Toss to combine again, making sure it’s coated evenly. Transfer to the lined tray and continue with the rest of the risotto balls. TIP: I like to pop them in the fridge at this point for about 10 minutes while the oil heats up, just to help them firm up a little so they hold their shape better when frying
8. Pour enough oil into a large pot so that it comes about 1/3 of the way up the side. Heat the oil to 180C (using a thermometer is the best here – or stick the handle of a wooden spoon into the oil – if the oil bubbles against the handle you know it’s ready). Lower three risotto balls into the oil and cook, turning occasionally for about 5 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Transfer to a wire rack then repeat with the rest of the arancini.
9. Serve while still hot, crispy and gooey in the middle, with the tomato aioli on the side.