Cauliflower is one of the most trending vegetables around town and of course it is because its so versatile! You can do ANYTHING with it. This arancini recipe is not a normal arancini recipe. Theres no rice, so it’s quite unlike traditional arancini recipes which are made with leftover risotto, or fresh :). Since I’ve started making cauliflower rice as a side to many dinners I thought how else can we use that cauliflower rice…arancini was the answer. All you really need is cauliflower, cheese and almond meal. The rest is optional and you can play around with the recipe below by adding any of your favourite ingredients or spices and herbs. Try it out and let me know how you go 🙂 It’s cheesy, it’s warming and it definitely hits the spot during these winter nights! Serve with any of your favourite sauce, I like it with a simple red sauce, or it could go really well on a bed of greens.
Cauliflower Arancini
Serves: Makes 12 medium arancini balls
Prep time: 45
Cook time: 30 – 40 minutes
*You will need a muffin tray for this recipe
Ingredients:
1 large cauliflower (grated)
1 egg
3 cups of grated mozzarella (Brancourts)
1 tsp of dry oregano
fresh thyme
salt
1 tbsp of water or oil
1 ½ cups of almond meal
1 cup of parmesan (finely grated)
20g butter
Method:
- Grate the cauliflower then melt the butter on a pan and cook the cauliflower, stirring quite often along with the herbs and salt until the cauliflower has softened. Approximately 7 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and set aside to cool until lukewarm. Transfer the cauliflower into a bowl, add the grated mozzarella, add the egg, 1 tablespoon of water or oil and using your hands mix all of the ingredients through until well combined. Place the cauliflower mixture into the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
- In a small plate add the almond meal and parmesan and mix together.
- Lightly butter the muffin tray.
- Remove the bowl of cauliflower mixture from the fridge. Taking a large tablespoon of mixture use your hands to shape the cauliflower mixture into a tight ball, squeezing it and evening the surfaces then place into the almond meal mix coating the surfaces really well.
- Place each coated cauliflower arancini into muffin trays or other tray that will hold the arancini shape and place into the oven to bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.
- While the arancini is baking use or create your favorite sugo/red sauce.
Enjoy and serve immediately with a sauce whilst still hot so the cheese in the arancini is still melted.
