Risotto Cakes

I made this for three reasons....it involved risotto, panko and Ina Garten. Risotto, because I had only made it once and wanted to try something new with it. Panko, because I see it everywhere in recipes and had to try it out. And Ina because all her stuff looks so good and I have yet to try one of her recipes. I changed the recipe to reflect what I had on hand.

Adapted from Chive Risotto Cakes

INGREDIENTS

Kosher salt
1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
½ cup Greek yogurt (I used plain yogurt that I strained a little)
2 extra-large eggs
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives (I used dried thyme)
1 ½ cup cups grated Italian Fontina cheese (5 ounces) (I used freshly grated Parmesan)
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¾ cup panko (Japanese dried bread flakes)
Good olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Bring a large (4 quart) pot of water to a boil and add ½ tablespoon salt and the Arborio rice.

Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. The grains of rice will be quite soft. Drain the rice in a sieve and run under cold water until cool. Drain well.

Meanwhile, whisk together the yogurt, eggs, thyme, Parmesan, 1 ¼ teaspoons salt, and the pepper in a medium bowl. Add the cooled rice and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight, until firm.

When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

Spread the panko in a shallow dish. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Form balls of the rice mixture using a standard (2 1/4 –inch) ice cream scoop or a large spoon. Pat the balls into patties 3 inches in diameter and ¾ inch thick. Place 4-6 patties in the panko, turning once to coat. Place the patties in the hot oil and cook, turning once, for about 3 minutes on each side until the risotto cakes are crisp and nicely browned.

Place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and keep warm in the oven for up to 30 minutes. Continue cooking in batches, adding oil as necessary, until all the cakes are fried. Serve hot.

I halved the recipe and got 9 cakes out of it. The cooking time on boiling rice was still the same.