pearls and pasta: Chive Risotto Cakes

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Chive Risotto Cakes

If you've ever made risotto, you know just how aggravating the process can be. It's tedious, time consuming, and if you overcook it by ONE minute you've just tossed 45 minutes down the drain. Well, these risotto cakes are a totally different take on risotto. I watched my dear Barefoot Contessa make these risotto cakes a few weeks ago and I've wanted to try them ever since. Well it was a FABULOUS idea. The only mistake I made was not letting them sit in the fridge long enough for the mixture to harden (you can even prepare it in the morning before work and keep in the fridge all day until you're ready to cook). You can add or subtract any cheese and herb you want but chive and fontina is very mild and pairs well with the crunchy panko topping. You can try and be healthy and bake these but its just not the same as frying. Use grape seed oil to cut down the calories while frying if you want to have a happy conscience. Served with a light arugula salad with a nicoise dressing and you have a very easy but yummy weeknight dinner!

What you'll need:

1 cup uncooked Arborio rice  

½ cup non-fat Greek yogurt  

2 eggs, at room temperature 

3 tbs. minced fresh chives  

1 ½ cups grated Fontina cheese

½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp. kosher salt

1cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

Grape seed oil (for frying)

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the rice for 20 minutes and drain.

2. When the rice is cooling, in a separate bowl mix together the yogurt, eggs, chives, and fontina. Add the cheese mixture to the rice, season with salt and pepper, and cover with plastic wrap and let sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

3. Heat the oil in a large pan. Spread the panko in a shallow dish. Use an ice cream scooper to make the cakes, pat them into the shape of a hockey puck and pat with panko on each side. Fry in the oil until golden brown (about 3-4 minutes per side).