Tag: dinner party

Ham and Mushroom Arancini with a Roasted Red Pepper Dip

Leave a comment

Arancini are one of Italy’s most delicious deep-fried snacks. Varying in size, they’re basically deep fried risotto, often with a particularly cheesy centre, which can ooze apart as you break into them. They’re the perfect starter, or an indulgent on-the-go snack, whether cheese-, meat- or tomato-based.

Having tried them both in the UK and Italy, I thought I’d attempt my own at home, bearing in mind I’d never made them before. A few months ago I made some prawn croquettes following a Rick Stein recipe, and this gave me a decent understanding of how a deep-fried treat with a creamy centre should be made.

My favourite arancino (singular), I actually had in Manchester of all places, at a street food pop-up called Tarricrii. The arancini were huuuuge, and it was the melted cheesiness that had me sold. 

The two that I had in Bologna, Italy, were from an indoor market type place, and although I don’t remember the exact flavours, I know that at least one was tomato-based, there was beef mince involved, and peas featured somewhere. These ones highlight how arancini certainly don’t have to be cheese-filled, and this may be a bastardisation, but to be honest, given the choice, who wouldn’t want a sinking washing line of mozzarella to emerge as you break it apart?

The recipe below is for a ham and mushroom filling, however, it’s incredibly easy to customise the risotto filling, creating a vegetarian version for example, or even adding pesto, tomato sauce, or other meats.

Makes 9

For the Arancini

arborio rice (so sorry I can’t remember the quantity lol – enough risotto rice for 4 people would be a decent bet)

3 slices of thick ham (torn into small chunks)

8 chestnut mushrooms (sliced)

1 large onion

600ml chicken stock

Salt/pepper

Parmesan

1 ball of mozzarella

4tbsp cornflour

1 egg (beaten)

Fresh oregano (or dried if fresh not available)

1 cup breadcrumbs (sorry for the inconsistency of measurements!)

Splash of marsala

  1. Slice the onions and cook for at least 20 mins until caramelised.
  2. Add mushrooms and cook for a further 5 mins
  3. Add the arborio rice and coat with onion mix.
  4. Begin to add the stock and marsala little by little, gradually allowing it to reduce each time over a medium-high heat.
  5. Season, and add the ham, torn mozzarella, parmesan and oregano.
  6. When the risotto is complete, spread out flat on a tray with sides and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
  7. When ready, remove from the fridge and form into large balls (or smaller depending on how you want to serve them).
  8. Roll the arancini first in a bowl of cornflour to coat, then the beaten egg mix, and then finally the breadcrumbs until fully coated.
  9. Heat your chosen oil in a saucepan and deep fry 2-3 at a time until they’re crisp and golden.

For the Roasted Red Pepper Sauce:

1 red pepper

½ onion

1 clove garlic

Salt/pepper

Cayenne pepper

Oregano

Tomato puree

Paprika

  1. Roast the pepper with a little bit of oil for 40 ish mins at 160 until it is bursting from its skin.
  2. Add to a food processor with the garlic and roughly chopped onion.
  3. Blend to a thick-ish paste/sauce and then stir through the remaining ingredients.

I was apprehensive about how these would turn out, but it’s ended up being one of my favourite recipes. They are best eaten fresh, and don’t freeze that well, so make only as many as you can eat!

They’re creamy, gooey, and dipping them into the red pepper sauce gives the perfect sharp kick to it. They are impossible not to like, and I think I’m going to have to try a gorgonzola version next…

I served these as a starter to my Chicken Pesto Lasagne which you can also find the recipe for here on my blog, so enjoy!

¡Comemos!

xo

Butternut Squash, Blue Cheese and Pear Puff Pastry Tart

1 Comment

I love puff pastry. The pre-prepared kind, that is. I’ve never attempted to make it myself, and maybe one day I’ll give it a go, but for now, ready-rolled is an absolute lifesaver.

I love the crunch as you bite into it, with little flakes floating down everywhere. It has a lightness that shortcrust lacks, and a delicious butteriness that you don’t get from filo.

Because you don’t need to make the pastry, this tart is so simple to make, and can be served as one large tart, or smaller, individual versions, using exactly the same measurements.

I used the amazing Beauvale blue cheese from Cropwell Bishop Creamery, which is local to me, as it’s incredibly creamy which is ideal for creating the dreamy melted blue cheese topping, rather than an equally as delicious, but not so practical crumbly Stilton.

From the photos, you’ll notice that there are two versions of this tart that I made. The first used all the ingredients, but I wasn’t happy with the base, so decided to remake it, and the second version was spot on. Having said that, I didn’t have enough puff pastry or any pears the second time, hence the smaller tarts and fewer toppings.

You can absolutely get the tart to cook through completely without the bottom being soggy, but don’t be afraid to let the outside edges brown a little more to do so. Baking the pastry blind beforehand will also help to ensure it’s completely cooked through.

I won’t even lie, the first time I made this, I ate the entire tart in one go. I just kept going back for more it was so good, so now, over to you…

Makes 1 large rectangular tart and 4 individual tarts

Ingredients:

½ packet of ready rolled puff pastry

½ butternut squash

salt/pepper

rosemary

1tbsp cornflour

1btsp honey + 1btsp balsamic vinegar (combined)

1 pear

75-100g blue cheese (the creamier the better)

1 egg, beaten

chopped walnuts (optional)

  1. Preheat oven to 180.
  2. Cut squash into thin discs and add to a baking tray with olive oil, salt, pepper and rosemary, and roast until soft. This shouldn’t take long – around 10 mins, depending on your oven.
  3. Unroll the pastry and fold over the edges to create a crust. Bake the puff pastry until puffed up and starting to brown slightly (5-8 mins).
  4. Remove pastry from the oven and flatten out the puffed up centre.
  5. Sprinkle the cornflour over the pastry base so that any excess moisture from the filling will be soaked up.
  6. Layer over the squash, pear and chunks of blue cheese, then brush the edges with egg wash before placing back in the oven to bake until golden and cooked throughout. You will need to monitor the base as this will cook slower than the edges which will brown quickly, so turn the heat down if need be.
  7. After removing from the oven, ensure base is not soggy, top with the chopped walnuts and drizzle with the honey/balsamic vinegar dressing.

I topped the finished tart with my favourite spice mix, which is a Spanish brand, including garlic, onion, thyme, chilli flakes and some other spices in there, but you can top with whatever you enjoy – whether that’s a sprinkle of chilli flakes, a few sprigs of rosemary, a dusting of pepper, or just leave it as is!

Once you’ve baked your first tart, you’ll realise how easy it is to customise and make it your own. There are so many different toppings you could experiment with, from Italian caprese, to goat’s cheese and honey, or a classic cranberry and Brie. So get experimenting, and…

¡Comemos!

xo