Risotto “spin-off” serving choices and my favourite stuffing!

If you leave your arancini plain as the original recipe try serving with an Alfredo sauce sprinkled with chopped flat leat parsley a definite lunch or supper dish – and two more big ticks – delicious comfort food and Autumnal. If you'd like to check out the Alfredo recipe have a look at the Sauce label on the blog Sunday 10^th February 2019 – The Birthday Bowl also gives a photo guide too.

Alternatively you can stuff your arancini with pancetta, basil and mozzarella, sun dried tomato or mushroom to name but a few. However, my favourite stuffing and another serving idea uses taleggio cheese – another Italian cheese which melts very well and so perfect for these beauties. It's not stringy like mozzarella, it melts and oozes – yum!

Here's the stuffing method which will give you 9 arancini – this stuffed alternative is perfect for a starter, albeit generous, served drizzled with Balsamic glaze and a side salad or with redcurrant jelly and a raw slaw – there's an impressive lunch box!

In addition to the basic risotto you'll need 200g taleggio cheese, rind removed

and divided into 9 cubes, 3 foil trays for the

50g plain flour, 3 large eggs – beaten and 150g breadcrumbs

as in the Risotto “spin-off” dishes

Use exactly the same method as given previously - when

you've rolled the rice into a ball use your index finger

to create a hole - place a piece of taleggio inside

and close up the ball then complete by jiggling in

the flour, egg and finally breadcrumbs

Shallow fry in oil.

The stuffed arancini freezes well – defrost thoroughly and warm through in a pre-heated oven 160 fan/180c/Gas 4 for 15 minutes.

I'm a fan of fusion and this may sound even more strange but I love arancini with a curry sauce, stuffed or not – surely I can't be the only person out there with strange taste?

Delizioso!

P.s. If you'd like some help making the arancini there's a complete photo guide on the blog – check out the Italian label – My Antidote – Take three trays – Fancy Italian/Malaysian fusion? 31^St/12/16.

Have a go – you won't be sorry!

Coming up - more Autumn comfort stuff

Risotto “spin-off” dishes

Some of us make a risotto deliberately to turn into another dish – for arancini, aka rice balls – sounds a little odd I grant you but traditionally arancini was created to use up leftover risotto. It turns out that the arancini is equally as good as the risotto.

Here goes – make a risotto with the recipe given, which will give you 18 arancini using the measurements and method given.

You'll need a tray bake, measuring 31cms(12”)x18cms(7¼”) as a guide.

Tip your cooked risotto into a tray bake, making sure it's flat and even, then cool, cover and fridge. You can leave for a couple of hours or overnight – whatever suits you best.

With the tray bake lengthways in front of you cut the risotto in half. Each half tray (6” or 15.5cms) gives you 9 arancini weighing 80/90gm, again as a guide. Using one half divide into 9 squares – 2½” (6.5cms) 5” (13cms) and 7½” (19cms) and set aside. I used a good old fashioned school ruler – works a treat.

Prepping this way will give you pretty much similar sized arancini but don't stress!

Take three trays (I used foil) – measuring 23x23cms :

50g plain flour – tray 1

3 large eggs, beaten – tray 2

150g Panko crumbs – blitzed in a food processor – tray 3

You can use ordinary breadcrumbs if you can't get Panko

You'll need vegetable oil for shallow frying

Using damp hands, mould each square into a ball – make 3 at a time – place in the flour tray and jiggle, let the tray do the work. Repeat in the beaten egg and finally in the crumb. Jiggle is my own term, descriptive I think - the actual technical term is pané – meaning “breaded”. If you want to be really cheffy you can repeat the egg and crumb - “double pané” for extra crunch.

Place the arancini in the fridge for 20 minutes – use a large frying pan and cover the base in oil, heat gently – test to see it has reached temperature by dropping, gently, a small cube of bread into the oil – it should sizzle. Fry four or five at a time so you can easily turn the arancini and ensure you get an even golden brown colour – about 3-4 minutes. Set aside on a baking tray and keep warm in a pre-heated oven – 150fan/170c/Gas 3.

You don't have to make all 18 arancini – you can make 9 and freeze the remaining half of the risotto, leave in the tray, fold over and wrap tightly in foil.

Spin-off arancini serving choices and stuffings up next!

Risotto rules and hints and tips too

It's imperative that your stock is kept hot and added a ladle at a time. If you follow these basic principles you'll be fine.

If you weigh all your ingredients, chop your onions, decant the wine into a plastic jug, grate your cheese (box and fridge of course) it's half the battle and you won't get flustered, panic and then make a mistake! Before you're ready to begin cooking place all your ingredients on a tray and check against the recipe. It may seem like a lot of prep, really it isn't and it's worth it. There's nothing worse than trying to wing it by prepping as you go, it reflects in the finished dish and I meant what I said, it really is therapeutic and you'll enjoy watching each stage and it morph into deliciousness. Risotto is good for the soul.

I'd keep the risotto basic especially if you have family and/or guests who all have different likes and dislikes. If you'd prefer to top the risotto, try balsamic mushrooms – an easy recipe, with bags of flavour and it looks really cheffy.

If you'd like some alternative suggestions :

seared asparagus tips

seared scallops and king prawns

cooked, diced chicken

cooked chorizo, finely diced

don't forget a bowl of finely grated Parmesan to sprinkle to taste!

Risotto is a rustic dish and I think perfectly acceptable to serve from the hob to the table in its pan, having said that, I mentioned earlier that in my kitchen everyone is already sat around the hob so it doesn't get a chance to move from the hob to the table!

If you are serving at the table then serve your crostini as an appetiser followed by your risotto and sides at the table.

Next – a side recipe

Your dessert choices

You don't have to put yourself under undue pressure – your main aim is to make it easy on yourself and to deliver a delectable dessert.

You've already got one choice - “The Rhubarb and the rest” gives you rhubarb and ice cream – but not as you know it.

If you prefer the strawberry route, you have two choices of ice cream – both no-churn – to go with the Strawberry Summer Pudding and syrup - “Speaking of seasonal fresh fruit”posted on 14th July 2019 gives you strawberry ice cream – the best ever I may say! If you fancy something a little different then check out “Strawberries and ice cream and Strawberry Miso Ripple posted, with photos on 21st July 2019.

I hope this birthday lunch menu with its recipes and hints and tips has given you inspiration for your own summer celebrations and you can create your own “creaking table”. As for me and my over-catering condition I'd prefer to call it generosity of spirit – and table! What's the worst that can happen – I have enough food leftover for lunches and suppers for the following couple of days – I can't lose.

Happy summer!

P.s. Whilst I'm on the subject of “summer pudding” I'm already thinking ahead. It won't be long before we're into Autumn and beyond (I'm sorry but you'll thank me for the ideas). Let me ask you a question – do you ever end up with a panettone you don't really like? Check out Cherry and Chocolate Panettone Pudding and The Pudding cont'd – complete with photos 16th December 2016. You'll be glad you did.

Finally, in my defence, I bought a chocolate panettone yesterday – here's a photo to prove it!

Birthday lunch puds – what's next

Assembling your pudding - you'll need :

1 litre (1&¾pt) basin.

A plain sided cutter slightly larger than the base of the basin.

Cling film and a drop of vegetable oil

Wipe the inside of the basin with a drop of vegetable oil. Place the cling in the basin and line ensuring that you have enough so that it overlaps the basin.

Cut out a circle of cake for the base and place it in the basin. Line the rest of the basin – I overlap each piece of cake – but it's whatever you'd prefer.

Using a slotted spoon fill the cake lined basin with the strawberry compote – set aside the compote syrup, box and fridge. Top the pudding with slices of cake and cover completely. Fold the cling film over the pudding to seal.

Place a slightly smaller plate or saucer on top of the basin and weigh down with a tin (the heaviest in your pantry/store cupboard). Fridge it for 12-24 hours.

To serve, remove the tin and plate, unwrap the cling film, cover the bowl with a large plate. Invert the pudding onto the plate and remove the cling film.

Serve the compote syrup in a jug on the side, ready to drizzle over the pudding. Add whatever takes your fancy - cream, ice cream or custard.

Coming up … the rhubarb and the rest!

A pandowdy post script

I received an email from my friend in the USA who had looked at the pandowdy blog. It raised an interesting question for her, which was “the apple pie recipe requires “black treacle” - I have no idea what that is”.

I can help - “black treacle” is “molasses”.

Here's what the can looks like :

It then occurred to me that the USA uses Imperial measurements and not metric as we do in the UK - if you're not familiar with both it can be a nuisance and would put you off a recipe because you don't have the time or inclination to translate.

As an example, my friend talked about a hamburger recipe she'd come across and so I mentioned that mine was on the same USA link “On location in SC – Friday night is burger night!” The recipe calls for 500g of minced beef, pork or turkey.

Here's a quick translation of the metric measures given for the burger :

1 kilo is equal to 2lbs 2oz,

for a recipe requiring 500g (½ kilo) you'll need 1lb 1oz of minced meat

and the 5x100g burgers equates to 5 quarter pounders

The UK introduced the metric system in 1965 so for those of a certain age – which includes me - we'd already been taught the Imperial system. There are many who still stick with Imperial in the UK. It messes with your head to effectively have two systems.

There are occasions when cooking needs to be exact – you can fly by the seat of your pants generally speaking – a sprinkle of this and a dash of that (note to self when you're flying by said pants try and remember what you've sprinkled and dashed!). However where baking is concerned this is an exact science and you have to be precise … unless of course you're like my Nana who never used a set of scales in her life and made the best pastry in the world!

This might help … strictly speaking an ounce is equal to 28 grams (g) - consequently the practise is to use either 25g or 30g. I use 25g as my rule of thumb – it's entirely up to the individual - both are correct – using 25g to an ounce makes the sums easier for me.

Note to me – give Imperial and Metric measures in recipes!