Medium
4
By Nisha Katona
Published 2017
Okay, so this recipe might see Italian mommas crying into their ragu in horror, but this zingy pineapple anchovy combination is a source of sweet-and-sour-dipping-sauce joy to millions of Vietnamese.
I confess, I have tried and tried but I have struggled to make really good arancini. I expect so much ooze and umph from these crisp, unassuming little balls, I had to go this far off piste to get there. For both my tyrannical palate and my brazen adulteration of this Italian classic, I beg your forgiveness. Try them, though, to properly seal your smirking contempt.
Blitz the pineapple in a food processor.
Heat the butter in a small frying pan over a medium heat until just smoking. Add the chilli, sugar, lime juice and pineapple and cook for 1–2 minutes until the juices combine and begin to thicken a little. Remove the pan from the heat.
Roughly mash the anchovy fillets into the cooked pineapple purée with the back of a teaspoon and keep aside in a bowl.
Rub a little oil onto your hands. Take a tablespoon of risotto into your palm and flatten it into a disc. Put a cube of mozzarella and
Now roll the balls in the flour. Transfer them to the beaten egg, covering them quickly. Then roll them in the breadcrumbs and set on a plate.
Heat the deep-frying oil in a large wok over a medium-high heat. Test the heat by dropping in a few breadcrumbs. When they fizz quickly up to the top, the oil is at the right temperature. Now gently lower the arancini into the oil in small batches and fry for about 5 minutes until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Serve hot – but not to your Italian mother-in-law.
© 2017 All rights reserved. Published by Watkins.