One from the mexican menu we put together for the Heciender private event, using ingredients from Ecorefill. Mexican spiced rice balls, stuffed with mozzarella, coated in panko breadcrumbs and deep fried. These can be made a day in advance and fried just before serving. We served them with a spicy tomato sauce and sour cream.
Prep Time: 3hrs
Cook Time: 5 min
Cuisine: Mexican fusion
Servings: Makes around 15 balls
Ingredients
1tbsp olive oil
1 onion finely diced
1tbsp garlic
200g arborio rice
2tbsp tomato paste
25g pickled jalapeños chopped
1 can chopped tomatoes
350ml Veg/chicken stock roughly
1 1/2tsp smoked paprika
1tsp cumin
1/2tsp coriander powder
1tsp chilli powder
30g parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste.
Flour
2 eggs whisked
250/300g panko breadcrumbs
200g mozzarella chopped into chunks
Salt and pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
In a large pan fry the onion in the olive oil over a medium heat for a few min until softened. Add in the garlic for a further few min before the rice, toss that around until some of the rice begins to toast.
Add in the spices along with the tomato paste, jalapeños and chopped tomatoes, stir constantly until all the liquid is absorbed by the rice. Then pour in the chicken stock a ladle at a time constantly stirring in between ladles to make sure the liquid is absorbed. This can take up to 20 minutes, you want the rice to be cooked and the liquid thick and creamy. If the rice isn’t cooked add more stock. You don't want the rice to be watery, it should be like a thick risotto.
Remove from the heat, stir in the parmesan and season liberally with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a tray to cool in the fridge for a few hours or freezer for an hour if you are in a hurry.
Get your bread-crumbing station together - 1 plate flour, 1 plate beaten eggs, 1 plate breadcrumbs.
Take around 3 tbsp of the cooled rice to form a ball, make a indent in the middle and stuff with a cube of mozzarella, close the hole and form into a ball again. Cover in flour, then egg and finally breadcrumbs. Set aside on a lined tray, continue until you have made all your balls. Pop back in the fridge or freezer for a minimum of an hour to firm up before deep frying.
Fill a large saucepan of oil or if you have a deep fat fryer even better. Heat the oil up until you can stick the end of a wooden spoon in and it starts to bubble. Test a few crumbs if they start to sizzle your good to go. Fry in batches for around 2 min until golden brown and crispy, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on some kitchen towel.
These are perfect as they are but I like to serve mine with a spicy tomato sauce, sour cream and fresh coriander.