Win over the guests at your next Super Bowl party by serving up a batch of these arancini, accompanied by homemade heirloom tomato and roasted pepper sauce. It has all the same flavors of that stadium staple — mozzarella sticks — but with gourmet flair, according to cookbook author Sonya Keister.
While the arancini’s slow-cooked risotto is amazing, “it’s the homemade pepper and heirloom tomato sauce that just might upstage the main event,” she says, calling it “a wining combo you can bet on.”
Mozzarella Arancini with Tomato and Roasted Pepper Sauce
Serves 10 to 12
INGREDIENTS
Sauce:
1 Anaheim red chile pepper
1 Fresno chile pepper
1/2 yellow bell pepper
1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped (1½ cups)
4 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
Olive oil, salt and pepper
3 pounds large, red and yellow heirloom tomatoes, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup loosely packed basil leaves
Risotto:
4 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided use
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
1 cup arborio rice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup Parmesan, grated
2 tablespoons mascarpone
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, minced
Filling:
4 ounces mozzarella or fontina cheese
1/2 cup flour
Salt and pepper
2 eggs
1½ cups Italian breadcrumbs
2 cups canola oil or vegetable oil, for frying
DIRECTIONS
Heat broiler. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Stem and seed the peppers, cut them in half lengthwise, then lay them on the prepared pan, skin side up. Add the chopped onions and unpeeled garlic cloves to the sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Broil until the skin on the peppers is blistered or blackened, rotating the pan as necessary.
Transfer peppers to a heatproof bowl and cover with plastic wrap. After about 10 minutes, remove the skin from the peppers. Remove skins from garlic as well.
In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the chopped tomatoes, 1½ teaspoons salt and a little pepper. Cook over medium heat until the tomatoes start to break down.
Add the peppers, onions and garlic to the tomatoes and cook for 10 to 15 minutes more. Let mixture cool slightly, then transfer to a blender or Vitamix. Add the 3 tablespoons unsalted butter and fresh basil. Blend to combine, then turn speed up to puree. Cool and refrigerate. When ready to serve, reheat until simmering.
For the risotto, heat the chicken stock in a medium saucepan set over low heat, keeping it at a simmer.
In a separate larger pot, heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the finely diced onion and saute until translucent. Add the rice, stirring to coat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Then add white wine and let it cook, stirring as needed, until mostly absorbed.
Add the simmering chicken stock, ½ cup at a time, gently stirring as it cooks and waiting until the liquid has been absorbed before adding more. The total cook time will be 18 to 22 minutes. When the rice is al dente, add the last 2 tablespoons of butter, the Parmesan, mascarpone cheese and fresh parsley. Spread the risotto on a sheet pan to cool. (Cover and refrigerate if making ahead.)
Get ready to form the arancini: Cut the mozzarella into 1/4- to 1/2-inch cubes. Create a dredging station by setting out three shallow bowls. Place the flour in the first bowl and season it with salt and pepper. Whisk eggs well and pour into the second bowl. Place the breadcrumbs in the third.
Spreading a dollop of rice in the palm of your hand. Add a piece or two of cubed cheese, then roll the rice around the cheese to form a ball, making sure the cheese is completely encased.
Dip the rice ball into the flour mixture, then the egg. Shake of any excess and then roll the rice ball in the breadcrumb until well coated.
Heat oil in a deep saucepan to medium high, about 350 degrees. Using a slotted spoon, add arancini to oil and fry in batches without overcrowding the pan. Drain on paper towels. Repeat until all arancini are golden brown.
Serve with the heirloom tomato and roasted pepper sauce.
— Sonya Keister, “Chef’s Table: Concepts and Recipes for Gathering” (Keister, $40)
