Arancini

We had some wild garlic risotto left over and I've always fancied having a go at Arancini. I was pleasantly surprised with the results - although mine were way too big. Next time I need to make them more like golf balls - I ended up having to flatten them into rissole shapes to get them to cook through. But they were lovely and crispy on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside. In these times of COVID 19 I was all out of mozzarella and not allowed to nip up the shop to get some, so a mixture of red leicester and philly cheese had to suffice, along with a bit of chopped ham.

left over risotto - about a cereal bowl full made 6 massive arancini
1 egg
90g flour
breadcrumbs
oil for deep frying
a bit of mozzarella or other grated cheese for the filling; chopped up ham worked well too. Basil would be nice I think. You don't need much.

Whisk the egg and flour to a thick batter, adding water as needed.
Put the breadcrumbs on a plate.
Get spoonfuls of the chilled risotto, flatten out, add a bit of filling and shape the rice around it into a ball about the size of a golf ball. Dip into the batter to coat it generously, then roll in the breadcrumbs.
Fry the balls in oil - we used a mix of olive oil and sunflower oil - until they are golden brown.
A tomato sauce would go well with them. I hadn't made one, but I had some garlic mushrooms and a dollop of Thai sweet chili dipping sauce. Heresy or fusion? You decide. I enjoyed it.

Celeriac Mash

Celeriac mash has a tendency to be a bit watery. This version is lovely and smooth and creamy.
Great with a roast, or with some nice sausages and gravy.

1 celeriac, peeled and cut roughly into 3cm chunks
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
sprig of fresh thyme
about 200ml milk, semi skimmed is fine
salt and pepper

1. Put the celeriac chunks, thyme and garlic in a heavy saucepan, pour over enough milk to come about half way up the celeriac, but not cover it all. Add a pinch or two of salt.

2. Bring to the boil, cover, then reduce to a gentle simmer - keep your eye on it. If it looks like it's drying out too much, add a splash more milk. Stir occasionally to stop it sticking and burning.

3. When the celeriac is soft (after about 15 mins or so), remove from the heat and puree with a hand blender.

4. Adjust seasoning, adding pepper and nutmeg if you want. Serve immediately.