Description
Ina Garten’s risotto cakes blend creamy Italian rice with crispy golden exteriors, creating a delightful appetizer or side dish. Cheese and herbs elevate these elegant morsels, promising a memorable culinary experience you’ll savor with each delectable bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups (5 oz / 142 g) grated Italian fontina cheese
- 1 cup uncooked arborio rice
- 2 extra-large eggs
- ½ cup (full-fat) Greek yogurt
- 3 tbsps minced fresh chives
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- Kosher salt
- ¾ cup panko (Japanese dried bread flakes)
- 3 tbsps good olive oil, plus more as needed for frying
Instructions
- Rice Preparation: Boil Arborio rice in salted water for 20 minutes until tender, then drain and rinse with cold water to halt cooking process.
- Mixture Creation: Blend cooled rice with Greek yogurt, eggs, chives, fontina cheese, salt, and black pepper in a mixing bowl, ensuring even distribution of ingredients.
- Chilling Phase: Refrigerate mixture for 2-3 hours to allow flavors to meld and texture to firm up completely.
- Coating Setup: Spread panko breadcrumbs in a shallow dish and preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit for maintaining warmth.
- Patty Formation: Shape rice mixture into uniform 3-inch diameter patties using an ice cream scoop, thoroughly coating each with panko breadcrumbs.
- Frying Process: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat, frying patties in batches of 4-6 for approximately 3 minutes per side until achieving a golden, crispy exterior.
- Serving Technique: Transfer finished risotto cakes to a parchment-lined baking sheet in the warm oven, then arrange on a serving platter, optionally garnishing with additional chives before serving immediately.
Notes
- Rinse Rice Thoroughly: Remove excess starch by carefully rinsing Arborio rice under cold water to prevent clumping and ensure perfect texture.
- Chill for Firmness: Refrigerate mixture for 2-3 hours to help patties hold shape and develop deeper, more integrated flavors.
- Coat Evenly: Use panko breadcrumbs for maximum crispiness, ensuring complete and uniform coverage on both sides of each patty.
- Manage Cooking Temperature: Maintain medium-low heat to achieve golden-brown exterior without burning, allowing risotto cakes to cook evenly and develop a crisp crust.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Snacks, Breakfast
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 250 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg