Mushroom Arancini Balls

These tasty, tender gluten free Mushroom Arancini Balls are packed with a mix of rice, fragrant mushrooms and cheeses on the inside, then fried in breadcrumbs for a crunchy bite every time. A versatile side dish, a starter or snack, add these savoury balls of goodness to your repertoire.

Gluten Free · Nut Free

Makes 20

Ingredients

20g dried shitake mushrooms

75g (1 large) portobello mushroom

100g (4 large) button mushrooms

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons olive oil

1 small onion, finely diced

2 teaspoons crushed garlic

1½ cups Arborio rice

½ cup white wine (or extra stock)

3 cups chicken stock

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

½ cup / 45g grated mozzarella cheese

½ cup / 25g grated parmesan cheese

½ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 egg, lightly beaten

To Coat

½ cup / 75g Anything But Ordinary Plain Flour

Salt and pepper

4 eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons sundried tomato pesto (optional)

2 heaped cups / 320g GF breadcrumbs

Oil for frying

Method

Soak the dried shitake mushrooms for an hour in enough water to cover. Drain and reserve half a cup of the soaking liquid.

Dice the shitake, portobello and button mushrooms. Heat two teaspoons of olive oil in a deep ovenproof frying pan and cook the mushrooms over fairly high heat until nicely browned and softened. Remove and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil and fry the onion and garlic for five minutes until soft. Add the rice and stir for a minute to coat the grains in oil. When the rice is translucent add the wine and heat until it is absorbed. Stir in the reserved mushroom liquid, stock, milk, and thyme leaves. Heat until simmering then cover and bake in the oven for 40 minutes, when all the liquid should be absorbed, and the rice is tender. Add the fried mushrooms and stir well then leave to cool.

Stir in the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses, salt, pepper, and egg. Cover and put in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.

For coating the arancini balls, have three bowls lined up with the flour mixed with salt and pepper, the beaten eggs mixed with the pesto and lastly the breadcrumbs. Have a tray ready to put the coated balls on. Scoop a level third cup of rice mixture and form into a ball. Roll it in the flour, put on the tray and repeat until all the mix is used. Coat a floured ball in egg and breadcrumbs and do the same with the rest of the balls. Then coat each ball again in egg and breadcrumbs. This ensures a strong outer casing with minimal bursting when frying. Put the balls in the fridge for an hour before cooking.

Heat the cooking oil to 180 degrees and deep fry for 7 minutes each. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel lined plate to absorb excess oil. Serve hot.

Any leftovers can be kept covered in the fridge for a few days and reheated to serve. These Mushroom Arancini Balls can also be made snack size by rolling heaped tablespoons of the mixture. Another option is to double the mozzarella cheese and leave out the mushrooms to make Cheese Arancini Balls.