Rice Croquettes with a Mozzarella Centre

📝 Ingredients

• 300 g arborio rice
• 1 vegetable stock cube + 900 ml hot water
• 1 brown onion (about 100 g)
• 200 g frozen peas
• 50 g grated Parmesan
• 1 ball of mozzarella (125 g drained)
• 3 eggs (1 for the rice, 2 for the coating)
• 80 g breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp olive oil (1 for the risotto, 1 for the croquettes)
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes (400 g) + 1 garlic clove (for the sauce)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• Salt, black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Large sauté pan
• Saucepan
• Ladle
• Baking tray and baking paper
• Large dish
• Shallow bowls

📖 Steps

1. Dissolve the stock cube in 900 ml hot water and keep the saucepan over a low heat. Finely chop the onion. In a large sauté pan, heat 1 tbsp oil over a medium heat and sweat the onion for 3 minutes, until translucent.
2. Add the rice and toast it for 1 minute, stirring, until the grains turn glossy. Pour in a ladleful of hot stock, stir until absorbed, then continue ladle by ladle for about 18 minutes. Add the frozen peas halfway through.
3. Take off the heat when the rice is fully cooked and fairly dry, not runny: that's what lets you shape the balls. Stir in the parmesan and season with pepper, then spread the rice out in a large dish and leave to cool for at least 30 minutes (or overnight in the fridge).
4. Preheat the oven to 210 °C and line a baking tray with baking paper. Mix 1 beaten egg into the cooled rice. Cut the mozzarella into 20 small cubes and pat them dry with kitchen paper so they don't release water during baking.
5. With wet hands, take a large heaped tablespoon of rice (about 55 g), flatten it in your palm, place a cube of mozzarella in the centre and close it up, pressing firmly to form a ball with no cracks. Repeat to make about 20 croquettes.
6. Beat the remaining 2 eggs in one shallow bowl and tip the breadcrumbs into another. Roll each ball in the egg then in the breadcrumbs, pressing so they stick all over. Place them on the tray and drizzle with the last spoonful of oil.
7. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, turning the croquettes halfway through, until golden and crisp. Meanwhile, in the rinsed saucepan, simmer the chopped tomatoes with the crushed garlic, oregano, salt and pepper over a low heat for 10 minutes.
8. Leave the croquettes to cool for 3 minutes before serving, as the mozzarella centre is scalding hot. Serve with the tomato sauce on the side in small bowls, so everyone can dip their croquettes.