kamokamo arancini

Kamokamo arancini

Yield: 20 to 25 bite sized arancini

Part one: risotto base

  • ½ cup arborio rice

  • ½ onion, brunoise

  • 1 garlic clove, brunoise

  • ¼ cup dry white wine

  • 3 cups vege stock

  • 1 bay leaf

  • ½ tsp ground fennel seed

  • 1 lemon, zested

  • extra virgin olive oil, for cooking

  • sea salt and ground black pepper, for seasoning

Bring a large saucepan to a medium heat. 

Add in four tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil followed by the arborio rice. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously. The rice should become fragrant and nutty. 

Add in the onions, garlic, bay leaf and ground fennel seed. Cook until the onions are soft and translucent but not browned.

Add in the dry white wine. Cook for 30 seconds until the liquid is almost fully reduced.

Begin adding the vege stock to the rice a ½ cup at a time. Stir continuously so that the rice cooks evenly.

Cook the rice until tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest then remove the rice from the heat. Set aside to cool at room temperature and move on to making the sautéed kamokamo.

Part two: sautéed kamokamo

  • 1 large kamokamo, peeled, deseed and grated

  • 2 tbsp honey

  • ⅛ tsp chili flakes

  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

  • 2 tbsp parmesan, finely grated

  • 1 tbsp thick greek yogurt

  • risotto base (see previous recipe)

  • olive oil, for cooking

  • sea salt, for seasoning

Place a large fry pan on the stove top and bring to a high heat. 

Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil into the pan quickly followed by the kamokamo. Sauté the kamokamo, stirring well to avoid it from catching to the bottom of the pan.

Add in the honey, apple cider vinegar, chili flakes and stir well. Cook until the kamokamo has softened and is beginning to caramelise. 

Add the risotto base to the kamokamo. Stir together and cook over a low heat for 5 minutes. 

Add in the parmesan and thickened yogurt and combine well. Stir and cook for 2 minutes.

Remove the fry pan from the heat. Transfer the mixture onto a tray then set aside to cool at room temperature for 15 minutes

After 15 minutes, place the tray into the fridge for 2 hours. 

Take the tray out of the fridge and portion the kamokamo rice into 15 gram balls. Place the portioned kamokamo risotto balls into the fridge then move onto the next stage. 

Part three: assembly and cooking

  • 50g goat cheese

  • 2 eggs beaten and passed through a sieve

  • 1 cup all purpose flour

  • 2 cups panko bread crumbs

  • 3 cups canola oil

  • portioned kamokamo risotto base (see previous recipe)

  • flaky sea salt and finely ground black pepper, for seasoning

Portion goat cheese into 2g pieces then roll them into balls. Place the goat cheese balls into the freezer for 1 hour - this will make them firm and easier to work with. 

Insert the frozen goat cheese into the middle of the portioned kamokamo risotto balls. Roll the rice around the cheese to ensure that it is well covered.

Set up three bowls to crumb the arancini; flour into one, panko into the other, and beaten eggs in the third.

Crumb the arancini using the flour, egg and panko. Double coat them ensuring that each side is tidily covered and there are no clumpy bits. 

Place the crumbed arancini onto a tray and put into the fridge.

Place the canola oil into a medium saucepan. Heat the oil to 170℃, use the kitchen thermometer to check the temperature.  

Carefully place the arancini into the oil in batches e.g 6 to 8 pieces at a time. Cook for approximately 2 minutes until the outside is golden brown and crunchy.

Remove the arancini from the oil and place into a bowl lined with a paper towel. 

Season with salt and serve with a side of thick greek yogurt. 

Note: summer squash or marrow are excellent substitutes if you don’t have access to kamokamo.