Are you a leek freak, or willing to experiment? Leek & Risoni Balls are tasty bite-sized mouthfuls of goodness – full of seasonal flavour and ready to be dressed to impress.
Leeks: Belonging to the onion family, leeks look a bit like huge spring onions, with a mild onion flavour. In season, which is most of the year in New Zealand, they represent good value for money to add flavour to a dish. Pretty much all of the leek is edible. Simply trim the root end and keep around 10cms of the leek green leaves. The greens will need washing as dirt will be trapped. Cut a slit through the stem to unfurl the green leaves, wash thoroughly in water then proceed to chop, slice and dice the greens as required.
Risoni: Risoni is a super-useful pasta. Bigger grains than rice (and indeed made of wheat) you can easily make too much so be aware that 1 cup of dry risoni will make 2 cups of cooked risoni as it doubles in size once cooked.
Breadcrumbs: Remember fresh crumbs are easy to make so don’t add this to your shopping list. If you don’t already have a blender, smoothie maker or kitchen whizz, buy one from your local Hospice store. Many folk will upgrade their kitchen electrics but the old designs are perfectly operational. To make 1 cup of breadcrumbs you’ll need two slices of bread. If you have bread going stale, do freeze it as these also are perfect for making crumb. You can blitz it from frozen too.
Leek & Risoni Balls
Makes: 20 balls
Prep time: 20 minutes
Chill time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup dry Risoni
- 25g butter
- 1 large leek, finely sliced (approx 200g when prepared)
- 1 tsp crushed garlic
- 1 cup + 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1 cup grated cheese
- 2 eggs, separated into yolk and whites
- 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
- ½ tsp salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
- 4 Tbsp Olive Oil – Extra mild
Method
- Cook risoni as per instructions on the pack in boiling, salted water. Drain and set aside. Allow to cool.
- Meanwhile, in a large fry pan melt butter, add leek and garlic. Over a medium heat, cook for around 10 minutes until soft but not coloured. Take off the heat and set aside.
- In a bowl, mix 1 cup of breadcrumbs, parsley and cheese well. Add leeks and risoni, stirring well. Add egg yolks, mustard and salt and pepper.
- Chill the bowl for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, beat egg whites until frothy in a small bowl.
- With clean hands and a sense of humour, form small ‘meat-ball’ sized balls from the chilled mix. Dip each ball in the frothy white and roll in remaining breadcrumb.
- Pan-fry over a medium heat with olive oil until golden brown, approx 10 minutes, turning regularly.
- Serve with your favourite pasta or cheese sauce.
