fontina risotto balls

Having left over fontina cheese, I flipped through the Hors d'Oeuvres Handbook. This was one of the few recipes I found. I've made risotto before and found it relatively easy to make, but time consuming, so I decided to break this into a two day affair.

I made some minor adjustments due to refrigerator and pantry restrictions. For the risotto, I used fresh thyme instead of parsley. Whenever I buy parsley, I barely use a third of it and the rest just go to waste, drying out in my fridge. Since I already had thyme and thought that the lemony flavor would go well in the mild risotto, I made the substitution.

Since some of these were being given to A., I asked her if she had any ideas. Her request? Add some meat and bake instead of fry. I thought both suggestions were good so I stir fried some ground chicken, marinated in my standard Chinese marinade.

The results? Crunchy little bites with a creamy and flavorful center. A.'s dad ate all but one of the sampling I gave her, leaving just a taste to her mom. I just so happened to see my brother the following night, so I gave him a few to sample as well, he gobbled them up. I had to stop him in order to heat it up. Seems like this was a boy's dish.

Fontina Risotto Balls adapted

makes about 18

2 cups low-sodium canned chicken broth

1 large shallot, finely chopped

1/2 cup Arborio rice

1/4 cup dry white wine, like a Sauvignon Blanc

1 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped

1/2 oz Parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 of a chicken breast, ground

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp white pepper

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp Chinese cooking wine, like a rice wine

1/2 tsp cornstarch

1 large garlic clove, minced

1/2 oz fontina cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

1/4 cup AP flour

1 large egg, beaten

1 cup panko

olive oil

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

Bring chicken stock to a simmer, keep over heat at a low simmer. Heat some olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until translucent. Add rice to pan and toast until the edges become translucent. Add wine and cook, stirring, until nearly all the wine is absorbed into the rice. Add a ladleful of stock and cook, stirring constantly, until nearly all of the stock is absorbed. Continue adding stock, one ladle at a time, stirring constantly, until the rice is creamy, about 15 minutes. Add the thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook until the rice is al dente, about 5 minutes. Stir in Parmesan and transfer to a bowl. Allow to cool, then cover and refrigerate until firm and thoroughly chilled, 3 to 4 hours or overnight.

Marinate ground chicken breast with the soy sauce, salt, white pepper, sugar, sesame oil, rice wine, and cornstarch. Marinate for at least an hour or overnight. Heat medium skillet, add olive oil. Add garlic and cook until aromatic. Add marinated chicken breast. Cook until thoroughly cooked through, using a spatula to keep the pieces small. Transfer and allow to cool.

Preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place 1 generous tablespoon of the risotto in the palm of your hand and form into a shallow cup. Place some chicken and one cube of fontina in the center and seal. It is important to keep the filling in the center. Place the risotto ball onto the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Place flour in a shallow bowl, season with salt and pepper. Place eggs and panko in two separate shallow bowls. Roll risotto ball in the flour to coat, tap off excess. Dip ball into egg mixture and then into panko. Place back on the baking sheet. Repeat.

Bake in oven for about 15-20 minutes, turning half way through. The panko should look crisp and lightly golden.