Rice Balls from Outer Space

26/05 RICE BALLS FROM OUTER SPACE

Often things go completely awry, planets don't align and you end up catatonic move in bed for two days. I find it best to accept fate and take things as they come, usually for the greater good. In this case the strange alien form that manifested in my bowl was a big slop of gelatinous sticky rice - result of an absent rice cooker. I had intentions of making a rice salad again, however now what to do with my intergalactic apparition? Rice balls from Outer Space!

In a miracle worthy of the master of disaster himself Edward D. Wood Jr. the failed rice is reborn as stuffed rice balls, or Martian-Italian arancini. Making virtue of necessity the filling is an alien mix of nuts, cheese, dried fruit and herbs. No matter how dire the beginning the final encounter is a matter of taste. They came from sticky rice to save mankind from hunger, tasting in believing.

Ingredients (all approximate) - 

2 Cups White Rice
5 Cups Water
1 Tsp Salt
1/2 cup Parmesan

1 Lemon (large and juicy)
100g Goats Cheese
1 Large Mushrooms
1 Cup Walnuts
1/2 Cup Raisins
Vinegar
Dill/Fennell Fronds
Salt
1 tsp Olive Oil

2 Eggs
1 1/2 Cups Breadcrumbs (fine)

What I did - Oven 180degrees (30-40 minutes)

I do understand that making these is a heavily directed process, which requires a commitment. Not lots of time or effort, but you don't want to be rushed when when dealing with bowls of stickiness. Start by making the rice, itself a no fuss step because you want to slightly overcook it so that the grains swell and stick together. Slick the rice in some oil, and cover with the water. Bring to rolling boil then let simmer until the starch has escaped the grains and sticks the rice together. Strain and let cool enough to handle with your hands - then fold through the parmesan.

While the rice is cooking blitz the filling together in a food processor - essential machinery. Plump the raisins in the vinegar with a splash of hot water, squeeze before adding to the processor. Toss the walnuts, mushroom, goats cheese, herbs and lemon (zest and juice) in and let them contemplate their imminent fate while you drizzle the olive oil in. Blitz until the walnuts have been pulverized (but not a white lumpy paste) with the other ingredients shattered through.

Now for the assembly. Line up the bowl of rice, bowl of nutty filling, a bowl for the breadcrumbs and a bowl for the eggs (briskly whisked). I find it best to star with all the rice and filling first, then the egg and crumb otherwise your hands turn into clag sticks. So flatten a handful of rice into a circle in your hand, about a finger thick. Then place one large spoon of the filling in the center and slowly work the rice around into a cup. add some more rice to cover the filling and smooth into a ball in your hands. Place on a lined baking tray and repeat until the mix is finished. Now roll each ball on the egg and then in breadcrumbs. Repeat until you have two trays of golden spheres.

Bake in a 180degree oven for 30-40 minutes until the oil in the filling has cooked worked its way out, heating the balls from the inside out. They should become burnished golden planets hovering on your oven trays. Leave on warm until ready to come crashing down to your plate.

JG