Mozzarella risotto cakes recipe

Crunchy on the outside, soft and smooth on the inside, these risotto cakes are the best of both worlds. They're a great way to use up leftover risotto too if you have some, simply work from step two. Kids love this fun take on risotto and it's a great way to introduce them to new flavours, you can try flavouring the cakes any way you fancy.

Ingredients

• 30g butter
• 250g risotto rice
• 600ml hot vegetable stock
• 6 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
• 4tbsp freshly grated Parmesan
• 3tbsp finely chopped parsley
• 1 egg, beaten
• 125g ready grated mozzarella cheese, (or a whole mozzarella, cut into 12 cubes)
• About 60g breadcrumbs (a day old if possible)
• Oil and butter, for shallow frying
• Salad leaves and cherry tomatoes, to serve

Method

1. Heat a medium pan, add the butter and rice and cook for a minute, then pour in half the stock. Cook over a low heat until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add the spring onions and the rest of the stock and cook over a low heat, until the rice is tender and the stock is absorbed. Tip into a large bowl, stir in the Parmesan and parsley and cool quickly. Chill, covered, overnight in the fridge, if you like.
2. Break up the mixture, add the beaten egg and season. Divide the mixture into 12 portions and shape each portion into a ball in your hand (wet hands if the rice sticks too much), make a hole in the ball and push in 1 good tsp grated mozzarella or a cube, then reshape the mixture into a ball and flatten it slightly. Put crumbs on plate, roll the risotto cakes around gently in them until roughly coated. Chill for 20 minutes to firm.
3. Warm a little oil and butter in a non-stick frying pan. Add risotto cakes and let them colour underneath and form a crust. Flip them over, and cook until crisp and golden on the other side. Drain on kitchen paper. The cheese inside should be hot enough to melt and 'string' when pulled apart. Serve hot with salad and tomatoes.