Ingredients

• 150g risotto rice
• 150g chestnut mushrooms
• 150g white mushrooms
• 1 tsp lazy garlic
• 1 tsp each of: dried basil, tarragon, thyme and sage. (Of course you can use fresh, I wanted to use what I had to make the meal economical too)
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 50g salted butter
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 large glass of white wine
• 40g grated parmesan
• 40g Dolcelatte cheese
• 1 litre vegetable stock
• 1 medium onion finely diced.

Method

1 In a large pan, heat some oil and sauté the onion and garlic for around 10 minutes over a medium heat.

2 Next, add the mushrooms, butter, balsamic vinegar and dried herbs. Stir thoroughly and season to taste. Cook for 5 minutes.

3 Add the risotto rice and ensure all of the ingredients are mixed in.

4 Gradually add the white wine and the vegetable stock. Ensure you constantly stir the rice so it doesn’t stick and burn to the bottom of the pan. For the rice to cook through fully will take around 25-30 minutes.

5 When the rice is cooked, stir through the parmesan and remove from the heat. Allow to cool for about an hour.

6 To make the balls, beat 3 large eggs in a bowl and make some breadcrumbs. I just whizzed up 3 slices of bread and fresh parsley. In the centre of the risotto balls, place a small amount of dolcelatte. Make the balls a little bigger than a golf ball. Roll the balls in the egg and then cover in the breadcrumbs.

7 Heat a large pan full of oil to 180 degrees – do not let it get any hotter as the balls will just burn.

8 Deep fry in the oil for around 2 minutes each.

9 Serve with a spicy chutney or something similar!