Recently I posted about some strawberry risotto and in the past I’ve posted about many other types including mushroom, red wine and radicchio risotto and sweet pea risotto. Its a very versatile dish as you can make it with whatever fresh vegetables you have on hand. Mushrooms tends to be one I lean to most often and my most recent attempt yielded quite a bit of leftovers. Usually those leftovers get eaten as is after being heated up in the microwave. While it is still good, its not even close to the original. I know that risotto cakes are something I’ve seen at restaurants and in the blogosphere so I decided to give it a try.
While I had this idea, I had no inspiration really, until I saw a post by Seven Spoons blog for a quinoa cake which actually originated in the cookbook of Heidi Swanson, author of 101 Cookbooks (one of the best food blogs there is). In this case, leftover quinoa was mixed with eggs, herbs and breadcrumbs and cooked in a pan. The little cake was then topped with greens and an egg. The picture alone makes you hungry. While I know I’ll try this quinoa at some point, I had my inspiration for the risotto sitting in the fridge. You do this with any day old risotto, but mine was mushroom.
Ingredients:
Number of cakes depends on leftovers
~3-4 cups leftover risotto, still cold
~ 1 cup yellow cornmeal
salt
pepper
sunflower/peanut or other high temp oil
Poached Eggs – see my recent post for instructions
Carefully scoop small amounts of risotto and form a small ball. Each one is about 2 times the size of an egg. Once they are all shaped, carefully use a spatula to press them down so the top is flat.
Heat oil in a non stick pan over medium high heat. While oil is heating, place cornmeal and a pinch of salt and pepper into a wide bowl and carefully roll each cake into cornmeal on all sides.
When oil is hot, working in batches, cook the patties for about 4 minutes per side. You want to achieve a nice golden brown on each side.
Serve 2-3 cakes topped with a poached (or fried for easier cooking) egg and a side salad. The yolk can serve as a nice dressing for the salad along with a bit of oil and vinegar. Enjoy!!
