 Ingredients
Serves 4
For the risotto balls
1 tbsp soft sheep’s cheese
1 tsp hard sheep’s cheese, grated
4 tbsp cooked risotto
Vegetable oil, for deep frying
For the soup
Oil or butter, for frying
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
700g (1lb 8oz) sunchokes, peeled and chopped (note: sunchoke is another name for the Jerusalem Artichoke)
75ml (2 ½ fl oz) white wine
700ml (22 fl oz) vegetable stock or water
4 tbsp double cream
1 tsp white truffle oil
1 tsp finely chopped fresh chives
Method
The risotto balls in this soup are based on the classic Italian dish of ‘arancini’, where the balls are the size of oranges. These balls are much smaller so you need only a very small amount of risotto. It is really too small a quantity of risotto to make, so I recommend you either make risotto for lunch while you prepare dinner or that you make more of the balls than you need for this dish and have them in tomato sauce the following day. They keep very well in a fridge (before frying) for up to two days.
I use a combination of two cheeses – Knockalara, a soft, fresh and mild cheese; and the more strongly flavoured Cratloe Hills, which is a 6-9 month old hard cheese with a texture like Manchego or Pecorino.
To make the risotto balls, combine the cheeses. Take a scant tablespoon of risotto, form it into a ball in your hand, then make an indentation in the ball. Take a small piece of the cheese mixture and press it into the risotto, then reform the risotto into a ball around the cheese. Press well to ensure the rice is firmly stuck together. Leave the balls in the fridge for at least 20 minutes before frying.
Heat a little oil or butter in a large saucepan, add the onions and cook gently for 7–10 minutes until they become translucent. Add the garlic, sunchokes and wine, bring to the boil, then lower the heat, cover with a piece of baking parchment and simmer for 8–10 minutes. Add the stock or water, bring it back to the boil, then lower the heat, put the lid on and simmer for 15–20 minutes until the sunchokes are soft.
Blend the soup to a fine purée, then pass this through a sieve and return it to a saucepan. Add the cream and reheat gently. Do not allow the soup to boil. Just before you serve, stir in the truffle oil. However, if you are making enough for leftovers, only add the truffle oil to that which you are about to serve.
While you are reheating the soup, heat some vegetable oil to 170°c/325°f in a large saucepan or electric deep-fryer. If using a saucepan, drop a small piece of risotto mixture into the oil to test. If it floats quickly and fries gently, the oil is ready. Turn the heat down to hold the temperature. Drop in the chilled risotto balls and fry them for 2–3 minutes until lightly coloured.
Divide the soup between four serving bowls and place a deep-fried risotto ball in each one. Sprinkle some chives over the top to serve.
Aga method
2-, 3- and 4-oven Aga
Heat the oil and butter on the simmering plate, add the onions and place in the simmering oven for 10 minutes to soften and become translucent. Add the garlic, sunchokes and wine. Bring to the boil, cover with a lid and transfer to the simmering oven. Add the stock bring back to the boil then transfer again to the simmering oven for about 20 minutes. To heat the oil, choose an Aga saucepan or other flat, heavy based pan, filling no more than one-third full. Heat the oil on the simmering plate, then carefully move to the boiling plate to reach final temperature and cook accordingly.
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