Fried Bolognese Risotto Balls

1. Dice the mozzarella into 1/4″ cubes then peel and finely chop the onion
2. Put the butter and olive oil in a saucepan, place it over moderate hit and make sure the butter and olive oil coat the bottom of the pan
3. Add the chopped onion and sautée until it’s tender
4. Add the rice and sautée it briefly
5. Add the white wine/vinegar and simmer it (to cook off the alcohol, if you’re using wine)
6. Add HALF of the water to the pan and bring it to a simmer over moderate heat
7. Once it come to a boil, reduce the heat so that the surface is bubbling and continue to simmer until the water evaporates
8. Afterwards, add 3/5 of the remaining water and continue to simmer
9. While simmering, stir occasionally (with a wooden spoon) so the rice doesn’t become sticky
10. When the liquid has evaporated, add the rest of the water, simmer until it too has evaporated
11. Add the tomato sauce and the parmesan cheese and stir them in
12. Season with salt and pepper to taste then turn the heat off
13. Transfer the risotto to a dish, spread it out and allow it to cool then cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge to chill
14. Afterwards, drizzle some olive oil on the risotto before dividing it into equal portions and rolling each portion into a ball
15. Make a hole in each ball, put the mozzarella cubes in and close up the ball, positioning the mozzarella in the middle
16. Put the coating ingredients as required in three different dish/bowls
17. Coat each ball in flour lightly then dip it into the beaten egg and press it into the bread crumbs to fully coat the surface
18. Heat the oil on a frying pan at 350ºF
19. Put each ball into the pan until the coating is slightly crispy. It’s ready when the ball has floated to the surface or the coating is golden brown. Tip: let it in a little longer unti it’s a little bit burnt just to be on the safe side.
20. Take the balls out once they’re ready, let the oil dry on a strainer and serve them while they’re hot!

Tips: It’s okay not to pour the water little by little. I actually made a mistake of pouring it all at once. But I think it’d take less time to pour it step by step like the recipe says. It’s okay not to use block mozzarella. Block ones just make it easier to place inside the ball of rice. I advise you to add a lot of salt. The tomato sauce makes it more sour than you would realise. And as per deep frying, don’t drop the ball into the oil, place it gently but carefully.