With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, Chef Gary wanted to bring you a classic Italian dish, because who does romance better than the Italians? We hope you ‘amore’ this Smoked Bacon & Leek Arancini with Tomato & Chilli Sauce 😉!!
Ingredients:
(serves 4)
300g TS Foods Premium Smoked Bacon & Leek Stuffing
120g TS Foods Fresh Breadcrumbs
300g risotto rice
250g of plain flour
2 eggs, beaten
30g grated parmesan
Cooking oil for frying
Sauce:
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp of olive oil
400g chopped tomatoes (1 standard can)
1 red chilli (de-seeded)
2 tsp of mixed herbs
3 cloves garlic, chopped
120ml cup of water
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of sugar
1. Cook the risotto rice as per pack instructions. Once cooked, put in a bowl to cool (if in no hurry, you can leave overnight).
2. In an oven pre-heated to 180C, cook the TS Foods Smoked Bacon & Leek Stuffing for 15 mins (the pack says to cook for 22-24 mins but we are finishing the rest of cooking time in the rice balls).
3. Remove from the oven and add to the cooked risotto rice. Using your hands, shape the mixture into little golf-ball sized balls (Chefs tip 👨🍳 Have a bowl of water to dip your hands into – wet means the mix won’t stick to you!).
4. Put the flour, egg and breadcrumbs into a bowl each. Dip each ball in the bowl of flour first, then the egg bowl and finally the bowl of TS Foods Fresh Breadcrumbs, ensuring each ball is evenly covered all over. Set to one side, ready to shallow fry.
4. Next, the sauce! Put the olive oil on a low heat and add in the diced onions, garlic and cook for 3-4 mins on a low heat to soften. Add your chilli and chopped tomatoes, along with the water. Cook for a further 2-3 mins the add the mixed herbs and sugar. Add salt to taste. Cook for another 5 mins on a low heat then set aside.
5. In a deep pan bring the cooking oil to heat (170c with a cooking thermometer). Drop in your crumbed arancini balls and cook for 5-6 mins until golden brown.
6. To serve, add the sauce to a plate, pop your cooked arancini on top and finish with the grated parmesan.
Find the TS Foods products in the chilled aisle of all great retailers across NI!.
Enjoy!
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