Recipe for Disaster

In the spirit of my new found domesticity ( and my new kitchen finally being finished), I have recently been experimenting in the kitchen a LOT.  The most recent of my experiments culminating in my attempting to make arancini for the first time ever. 

Now I didn't know much about what goes into making this delicious meal, only that it was very very hard.  Warnings about oil being too hot and split rice balls, rice not cooking properly and just general disasters when making this dish.  So although I was excited to be attempting this, I was also mentally preparing myself for complete and utter disaster.  

Firstly the recipe I chose was from a recent Coles magazine and was actually for Pumpkin and mozzarella arrancini.  As much as I don't mind pumpkin soup, I'm not a huge fan of eating pumpkin, so I thought I'd be tricky and make a mushroom version.  ( because making this for the first time wasn't hard enough).  So I set about getting all the ingredients ready and once purchased, locked down a day to make my meal.

Now I don't make mistakes, its all about learning new inventive ways to do things  : )   So I give you...

Learning number 1

Cooking arancini takes more than a day to make.  Yeah didn't read that properly before I decided to dedicate a day to cooking.  So there I was all my ingredients ready to roll, had the whole family super excited for a tasty dinner and I read that the risotto needs to sit; preferably overnight in the fridge before you make balls with it. ........ OK, so tonight's dinner is now pumpkin soup, however the risotto is still being made.

Learning number 2

I've never even made risotto before.  Did you know risotto takes a really, really, really, really, long time to make? Really. You add stuff and then you stir... and then you add some more and you stir and it just keeps going and going and going.  And it just seems weird putting uncooked rice in the pan.



This is 45 minutes later after adding mushrooms. Is it arancini yet?



Learning Number 3

Be patient.   The biggest lesson I learnt about the whole exercise?  Don't stress and be patient. I read an online recipe or blog from Jamie Oliver about making an arancini way more complicated than what I was attempting.  And his advice?  Do a certain number of steps and have a rest. Do some more and sit on the couch with a wine.  Keep going step by step slowly so you aren't frustrated and making silly mistakes through lack of patience. 

But in the end ( many hours of cooking behind me), the final product wasn't half bad .

My final advice, that really works no matter what you are cooking?  Always cook with a glass of wine in your hand.  Works every time :) 

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