Cheesy Rice Balls with Chorizo Dust and Chipotle Dipping Sauce

Author: Karl Tessendorf
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 6-8 servings

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Description

Panko-coated rice balls are filled with gooey mozzarella and deep-fried for a crispy, cheesy and saucy snack.

Ingredients

Rice Balls

1 litre canola oil for frying
a digital thermometer
2 C (500 ml) Rice, cooked according to the packet and cooled
1 large egg
250 g mozzarella, cubed (a smoked cheese is great if you can find)
1 packet Panko breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp (15 ml) paprika
3 large eggs
1 C (250 ml) flour, seasoned

Chipotle Dipping Sauce

1 C (250 ml) mayonnaise
4–5 chipotle chillies
a squeeze of lemon juice

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Chorizo Crumb

a splash of oil for frying
1 chorizo sausage, diced into small cubes

Instructions

Rice Balls

The rice needs to break down in order to form the balls, so once cooked, spread out onto a large baking tray and mash well with a potato masher to make it a little stodgier. Add in one whole egg and continue to mash.

Wet your hand a grab a small handful of rice and work into a rough ball. Pop a piece of mozzarella in the middle and work the rice around it until you have a golf ball size ball. Repeat this process until you have used all the rice.

Place the balls into the fridge to firm up.

Frying

Set out 3 bowls and put the flour, paprika, salt and pepper in one bowl and mix well to combine. Put the eggs into another bowl and then the Panko crumbs into the last bowl. Using your left hand grab a ball and roll it into the flour then use your right hand and dunk it into the egg and then transfer it to the Panko. Use your left hand to roll it around the Panko to evenly crumb and then place the crumbed ball onto a wire rack. Repeat this process until you have crumbed all the balls.

Preheat the oven to 120 C. Fill a large dutch just over half with canola oil over high heat. Check the temperature periodically until it reaches 170 C.

Fry the balls in batches of 4 for 2 minutes or until golden. Place the cooked balls onto a rack in the oven the while frying. Repeat this process until all the balls are cooked.

Chipotle Dipping Sauce

While the balls rest, place the ingredients for the for the dipping sauce into a blender and blitz until combined. Season to taste then set aside. Note: if you can’t get hold of whole chipotle chillies, use a dried chipotle spice.

Chorizo Crumb

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, add a splash of oil and the chopped chorizo. Cook the chorizo until the fat renders out and the chorizo is crispy. Drain on a piece of kitchen towel and cool. Blitz the cooled chorizo in a blender until it resembles a rough dust then set aside.

Serve the balls with dipping sauce and chorizo for dusting. Best eaten dunked into the sauce and then dipped into the chorizo dust.

Karl Tessendorf

This is Karl. He loves beer. He also loves fire and food and believes that if you are going to cook something, don’t do it in half measures. He’s a copywriter by day and in his dreams he braais and writes about beer for a living. When he’s not braaing and drinking beer, you can find him drinking beer and braaing.