© J Sainsbury plc 2020
Vegan risotto balls with roasted garlic dip
These crunchy Italian-inspired arancini balls are made with two types of vegan cheese, porcini mushrooms, risotto rice and a splash of sherry. Serve with a creamy roasted garlic and chive dip for the ultimate party starter
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Ready in 1 hour 50 minutes, plus chilling time
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Cooking time 1 hour 10 minutes
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Prep time 40 minutes
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Makes 22 arancini
Ingredients
For the garlic dip
- 1 whole garlic bulb
- 100g plain unsweetened soya yogurt
- 1 lemon
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 15g chives, finely chopped
For the arancini
- 20g dried porcini mushrooms
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 250g mushroom mince
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 200g Arborio rice
- 50ml dry sherry
- 250g grated cheddar-style vegan cheese
- 45ml soya milk
- 50g soft vegan cheese
- 100g panko breadcrumbs
- 2 litres sunflower oil
Method
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1
Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas mark 6. Place the whole garlic bulb with seasoning in a piece of tin foil and wrap tightly. Place on a baking tray and bake for 45 minutes. Once cooked and very soft to the touch, leave out to cool.
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2
Add the porcini mushrooms to 1¼ litres of boiled water and leave to soak for 20 minutes. Save the porcini for another use and keep the mushroom stock on a low heat.
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3
Heat half the olive oil in a large heavy bottomed pan on a medium heat. Add the mushroom mince and thyme leaves, season and cook for 8 minutes until browned. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
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4
Add the remaining olive oil to the same pan. Once hot, add the onions and sweat for 5 minutes until soft but not coloured. Add the rice to the pan and stir for 2 minutes to coat. Increase the heat slightly and add the sherry, letting it bubble away until almost completely reduced.
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5
Add the first ladle of stock, stirring often. When it has been almost all absorbed, add another ladle. Continue for 20 minutes until the rice is cooked al-dente. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the cooked mushroom mince, vegan cheese and seasoning and mix well. Transfer to a baking dish and set aside to cool uncovered for 1 hour, then cover and transfer to the fridge for at least 4 hours.
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6
Meanwhile, squeeze the flesh out of the skin of the garlic bulb. Place in a bowl with the yogurt, lemon juice and olive oil. Mix to combine and season to taste.
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7
Place the soya milk and soft vegan cheese in a bowl and beat with a fork until combined. Add the panko breadcrumbs to a second bowl. Form a ball of cold risotto in your hands, dip in the wet mix and cover with the breadcrumbs. Repeat to make 22 arancini. Transfer to a lined baking tray and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
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8
Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy-based deep saucepan to 170°C. Add 4-5 arancini to the oil and fry until golden and crisp all over. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and place on kitchen paper. Mix the chives through the dipping sauce and serve alongside the arancini.
