Arancini (Fried Stuffed Rice Balls)

Deep frying our turkey has become a new tradition at our house (if two years in a row can be considered a tradition). I'm calling it one because I plan on doing it for a long time to come. I seriously recommend it...I don't even like turkey and I ate some (it's that juicy and non offensive). Plus it frees up my oven for cooking side dishes.

Last year I didn't consider the fact that I was heating up a ton of oil just to cook the turkey and didn't use it for anything else. So this year I had a game plan. I made vegetable chips (kale and carrots) before the turkey even went in. Then after the turkey came out (it needs 30 minutes to rest anyway), I fried these arancini and sweet potato fries too (which I didn't leave in long enough and they weren't crispy and I was kind of sad about it until I ate the fifty other things we had and realized I probably would have exploded anyway if I'd eaten sweet potato fries too).

ARANCINI (FRIED STUFFED RICE BALLS)

Makes 4 light lunch or dinner servings

3 cups chilled risotto

12 (1/2-inch) cubes mozzarella (or other melty cheese of choice), about 1 oz. total

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup fine dry bread crumbs (not seasoned)

about 8 cups vegetable oil for frying

1.      Roll chilled risotto into 12 (1 1/2-inch) balls using wet hands. Poke a small hole in center of each ball and insert a cube of cheese, then re-form into a ball.

2.      Put flour, eggs, and bread crumbs in 3 separate bowls. Dredge 1 risotto ball in flour, shaking off excess. Dip in egg, letting excess drip off, then dredge in bread crumbs and transfer to a sheet of wax paper. Repeat with remaining balls.

3.      Heat 1 1/2 to 2 inches oil in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot until thermometer registers 360°F. Working in batches of 4, lower rice balls into oil with a slotted spoon and fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per batch. Transfer with slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Return oil to 360°F between batches.

4.      Let balls stand 2 minutes before serving (for cheese to melt).

adapted from Gourmet, April 2005

cold saffron risotto with butternut squash, rolled into a ball

stuffing with monterey jack cheese

I chose a mild cheese for the kids (I thought they
might not like the blue cheese). But among the
adults, the blue cheese was the clear winner.

stuffing with blue cheese

stuffed with cheese and re-rolled

dipping in flour

dipping in egg

rolling in bread crumbs

going in to the fryer

in the turkey fryer

fried

The dark specks in the strainer are from the dry rub
that fell off the turkey and were floating around
in the oil. I figured they would just add flavor.

fried stuffed rice balls

arancini inside

As you can see, the outside is crispy and the inside is warm
and melty. Delicious! I think next time, I would make a
mushroom risotto. The possibilities are endless.

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Blue Cheese Dip

I loved everything about this bold dip, except for the fact that I brought it to a party where the hostess was allergic to blue cheese. Talk about a faux pas. Of course being so gracious, she didn't mind (or didn't seem to mind, because you fake it when you're gracious). I served it with vegetables, potato chips and hot buffalo bugles and the non-allergic party goers really enjoyed the sharp, tangy flavor - a few of them even asked for the recipe (here you go). 

BLUE CHEESE DIP

Yield: about 2 ½ cups

4 oz. blue cheese (preferably Maytag), crumbled

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup sour cream

4 scallions, finely chopped (reserve some for garnish)

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1 small clove garlic, pressed or crushed and minced

dash of worchestershire sauce

dash of tabasco

pinch of salt

1.      Combine everything in a medium bowl; mix until well blended. Cover and chill in the refrigerator. Best made 1 to 2 days ahead (it improves as it sits).

2.      Garnish with chopped scallions. Serve with chips, vegetables or buffalo wings (if you want it thinner, just stir in a little buttermilk or milk).

adapted from allrecipes.com (submitted by Lisa Fisk)

crumbling the blue cheese

everything else added to the bowl

mixed

blue cheese dip

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Chicago Steakhouse Sandwich

It would be tough to find a heartier sandwich than this one. And I love that it's a full meal all in one package, complete with greens. I'm also crazy about the little garlic chips you make to go with the spinach. I recommend making some extra because I wanted to snack on the whole pile. I think someone needs to sell those in bags. Not me...so if you like to sell, feel free to take the idea and run with it. If you become a garlic chip magnate and want to thank me, I'll take a beach house. Nothing fancy (ocean view and pool of course, but you can leave out the jacuzzi).

CHICAGO STEAKHOUSE SANDWICH

Yield: 4 servings

Steak:

1 (20 oz.) boneless rib eye steak

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sautéed Garlicky Spinach:

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

3 (10-ounce) bags fresh spinach, washed and stemmed

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Buttermilk Blue Cheese Dressing:

2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 cup mayonnaise

1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon minced fresh dill

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Sandwich Build:

1 fresh loaf crispy French bread, cut into 8-inch segments, buttered and grilled

1.      For the steak: Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat until very hot. Sprinkle both sides of the steak with salt and pepper. Place the steak in the hot skillet, reduce the heat to medium and sear until well browned, about 4 minutes. Flip the steak and cook until medium/medium-rare, about 6 more minutes. Set aside, loosely covered with foil, and let rest before slicing.

2.      For the sautéed garlicky spinach: Heat the oil and sliced garlic in a Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the garlic is golden brown and crispy. Remove the garlic and set aside on a paper towel to drain. Add the crushed red pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the spinach and stir to combine with the oil. Cover and let cook over medium-high heat until the spinach is wilted but still bright in color, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and toss with the garlic chips.

3.      For the buttermilk blue cheese dressing: Mix the mayonnaise, buttermilk, blue cheese, dill, mustard and pepper together in a bowl and set aside. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.

4.      For the sandwich build: Slice the rested steak against the grain into 1/4-inch slices, removing any non-rendered fat. Place the steak slices on the bottom bun, top with the spinach and schmear the top bun with buttermilk blue cheese dressing.

from Jeff Mauro

blue cheese dressing ingredients

raw steaks

seared steaks

raw sliced garlic

crispy garlic chips

They're too small to dip - unless you don't mind everyone's fingers
deep down in the bowl (ew). But I still think they could catch on.

raw spinach

adding garlic to cooked spinach

I got the bread nice and toasty in the already hot
cast iron pan (it didn't seem worth turning on the
grill just for that).

sliced steak

As you can see, I like mine on the rare side.

topped with spinach & garlic

and blue cheese dressing

Chicago steakhouse sandwich

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Fig and Blue Cheese Savouries

I wanted to love these unusual little...crackers, I guess I'll call them (cookies doesn't seem quite right). But I didn't. They just tasted kind of off to me. Like when milk is right on the edge and you can't decide whether it's still good or not (by the way, in that situation I advise erring on the side of caution and going with not). What surprised me about these was that while I expected to like them and didn't, my 7-year-old daughter loved them. She asked me to put them in her lunchbox the next day. The girl doesn't like blue cheese or figs and told me how gross it all looked the whole time I was making them, so I certainly didn't see that coming. I think she just likes to see that look of confusion on my face. Well played Maddie.

FIG AND BLUE CHEESE SAVOURIES

Makes about 3 dozen

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

freshly ground black pepper

approx. 3 tablespoons fig preserves

1.      Heat oven to 350º F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.      Place the flour, butter, blue cheese and a few grinds of black pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the dough just comes together and starts to form a ball.

3.      Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times to pull the dough together. Roll out to 1/8-inch thick with a floured rolling pin. Cut rounds out of the dough with a floured 1-inch cutter and transfer the rounds to the parchment-lined baking sheet.

4.      Using the rounded back of a half-teaspoon measure or your knuckle, make an indention in the top of each dough round. Spoon about ¼ teaspoon of fig preserves into each indention, using your finger to push the preserves as best as possible into the indentions.

5.      Bake the savories for 10 - 14 minutes, until the preserves are bubbling and the pastry is light golden on the bottom.

6.      Let cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool. Can be made a day ahead (keep them in two layers separated by waxed paper in an airtight container).

from food52.com (submitted by TheRunawaySpoon)

flour, butter, blue cheese & black pepper

blue cheese dough

dough disk

rolled dough

cutting into rounds

dough rounds

topped with fig jam

fig and blue cheese savouries

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