Millet Risotto Balls w/ Sundried Tomatoes & Black Olives

Millet is such a wonderfully versatile grain. It’s gluten free and has a mild flavour. I love to cook it in stock as it absorbs flavour really well. Here i’ve made a spin on Italian arancini. These are great as a snack, as part of a shared meal or alongside a crisp green salad for dinner.

Ingredients:

Balls: 
50g sundried tomatoes  
1 cup hulled millet  
3 ½ cups vegetable stock 
1 medium garlic clove – finely diced 
1 bay leaf 
1 ½ cups (150g) grated parmesan or cheddar cheese
¾ cup pitted black olives – diced

Coating: 
2 free-range eggs – lightly beaten
¼ cup (40g) sesame seeds 
¾ cup (85g) almond meal 
¼ cup (35g) tapioca flour 
Salt and cracked black pepper 
Coconut oil* or ghee for frying

To serve (optional): 
Good quality mayo or aioli, lemon wedges

Method:

Cover the sundried tomatoes in boiling water. Leave for 30 minutes before draining well. Pat dry and chop into small chunks.

Place the millet, stock, garlic and bay leaf in a medium saucepan. Bring to the boil before reducing to a simmer. Cook with a lid slightly ajar for 20 minutes until the liquid is absorbed. The millet will be a little gluggy as it has absorbed a lot of extra liquid.

Remove the bay leaf. Stir through the cheese, olives and sundried tomatoes. Taste and season well. Leave to cool for 15 minutes before rolling into ping-pong sized balls. Place in the fridge to cool for at least 30 minutes.

Combine the sesame seeds, almond meal and tapioca flour in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Dip each ball into the beaten egg and then coat well with the crumb. Repeat until all the balls are coated.

Heat a very generous dollop of oil in a sauté pan over a medium / high heat. Cook in batches until well browned. Keep warm in the oven until all are cooked.

Alternatively you can bake the coated balls in a very hot oven (200 degrees Celsius) for 15 minutes.

Serve risotto balls hot with a good-quality mayonnaise or aioli and lemon wedges on the side.

Leftover balls can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Will freeze well for up to two weeks. Reheat (thawed) in the oven at 180c (350f) for 15 minutes.

 

*Item not available online but is available in your local GoodFor store.

This recipe has been contributed by our friend Kelly Gibney of kellygibney.com