Gochujang Arancini Balls With Kimchi Mayonnaise
Arancini balls made with Gochujang to make a Korean-Italian fusion dish that's spicy, tangy, sweet, soft, and crunchy all in one bite. Served with an easy kimchi mayo for a fun yet elevated canape or first course. I normally allow 3 per person.
Ingredients
Gochujang risotto
- ½ tablespoon Cooking oil Neutral
- 180 grams (1 cup) Arborio rice or other risotto rice
- 1 Shallot
- 3 tablespoon Gochujang paste
- 175 ml (¾ cup) White wine
- 500 ml (2 cups) Stock vegetable or chicken
- 2 tablespoon Honey
- 75 grams (½ cup) Parmesan cheese Plus extra to garnish
- 1 Lime juiced
- 2 tablespoon Coriander leaves/cilantro
- 2 tablespoon Spring onion
- salt and pepper
Panko breadcrumb mix
- 100 grams (1 cup) Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 Egg
- 60 grams (½ cup) Flour
- Salt and pepper
Kimchi mayonnaise
- 200 grams (1 cup) Kimchi
- 100 grams (½ cup) Mayonnaise or sour cream
- ½ Lime
Instructions
Make the risotto
- Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan or casserole pot, and place the stock in a separate saucepan over heat so that it warms up.
- Fry the diced shallot in the oil until translucent. Stir through the rice and gochujang paste for a minute, then add the white wine.
- Keeping the heat on medium-low, cook the risotto. The wine will slowly absorb, and when it is nearly gone, add a ladle of the hot stock. Stir occasionally as it is absorbed, then add another. Keep going until the liquid is all absorbed or the rice is cooked. It should be tender, with no crunch, but still have a little bit of a bite. Keep on the heat for a few more minutes to evaporate any excess liquid.
- Add the parmesan cheese, honey, lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste and stir through. Then pour into a dish and refrigerate for one hour or until completely chilled.
Form the arancini balls and breadcrumb them
- Use a spoon to scoop out golf ball-sized portions of the risotto and press/roll into balls.
- Toss each ball into the flour to coat it thoroughly, then into the beaten egg, and then into the panko breadcrumbs. Using forks can help save your hands from getting too sticky.
Cook the arancini
- If deep frying, heat the oil to 170–175°C (340–350°F) and fry the arancini in small batches for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate, or keep warm in the oven at 100°C/200°F on a wire rack while cooking the rest.
- If airfrying, spray with oil and cook in small batches for 5-7 minutes at 180°C / 350°F. See notes for other options.
Serve with the kimchi mayo
- Blend the kimchi with the mayonnaise and add a squeeze of lime juice to taste. It can help to strain the kimchi first to make the sauce less watery.
- Spread the kimchi mayo on a plate and place the gochujang arancini on top. Garnish with sprigs of coriander/cilantro, chopped spring onion, and a wedge of lime.
Notes
Risotto tips
You may need slightly more or slightly less liquid depending on how fast you are cooking it.
Don't stir it too much, or the risotto can become gluey due to an overproduction of starch.
Panko tips
This risotto can be hard to roll into balls, so make sure it is very cold, and use more of a squeezing motion to compact the rice together.
Use one hand for the flour and panko stages, and the other hand for the egg stage of the breading. Or, use a fork.
Cooking methods
You can oven-bake arancini, but they won't be as crisp. Spray them with oil and bake at 200 °C/400°C for 20 minutes, placed on a wire rack on top of an oven tray. Turn gently halfway using tongs.
You can also shallow fry, but they may end up as triangles, rather than balls.
How to store/freeze
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat in the oven or airfryer (they will not be as crisp). Or, briefly deep fry again.
Freeze raw arancini after the breading stage on a tray, then transfer to a ziplock. Cook from frozen the same way as above, but give them more time.
Nutrition
Calories: 225kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 5gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 465mgPotassium: 106mgFiber: 1gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 182IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 101mgIron: 2mg
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