Morel Mushroom Risotto Balls

In this delicious recipe we show you how to make amazing Morel Mushroom Risotto Balls using a beautiful Morel Mushroom. This is a fantastic way to repurpose any leftover Mushroom Risotto you’ve had for dinner the night before. The rich Mushroom Risotto is coated in a tasty breading of Panko Breadcrumbs and then lightly fried until golden-brown and crispy. The Mushroom flavor is amazing in this recipe, and the addition of the crispy fried texture makes this the perfect Lunching on Leftovers dish

Detailed in the recipe below is the full outline on how to make this tasty Mushroom Risotto. You can also check out our full recipe for this Risotto here, which is well worth checking out. What I always find with Risotto is that there’s leftovers. Even with 1 ½ cups of Rice (which is what we use for our recipe), it will produce more than enough Risotto for 2 people, even possibly 4 people! So, the likelihood of leftovers with this recipe is great

Leftover Risotto tastes so good

Like other famously better tasting dishes the next day like Spaghetti Bolognese, Lasagna, and even re-heated Pizza, Risotto the next day tastes amazing. The flavors become more concentrated and richer, which in this case results in a brilliant earthy Mushroom flavor. Make no mistake about it, the Risotto tastes great fresh. It’s just even better the next day! Especially when it’s coated in Breadcrumbs and deep fried to crispy perfection!

How to make the Mushroom Risotto

Here’s a quick summary of how to make this amazing Risotto. The key to extracting an amazing Mushroom flavor in the dish lies in the Broth you use. Avoid using Water, and other popular types of broth (like Chicken, Vegetable, or Beef Broth). Instead, we make our own Mushroom Broth using dried Morel Mushrooms

Rehydrate the Mushrooms in boiling water for about 20 minutes. The Water will absorb all those amazing earthy, nutty flavors of the Morels, which can then be used as Broth to cook your Rice! You’ll need a generous amount of Broth for this dish, about 8 cups is needed for 1 ½ cups of Rice

The Risotto is prepared in a typical fashion. Fry off your Onions, Garlic, and Mushrooms in Butter and then add the Rice. Add some White Wine to deglaze and then gradually add your Mushroom Broth to the dish, one cup at a time

This recipe produces a ridiculously tasty Risotto. Enjoy it and then transform the leftovers into these beautiful Risotto Balls

Repeat this process until the Rice is perfectly cooked and tender, and the texture of the Risotto is slightly runny (the perfect consistency for an authentic Risotto). Finish off the Risotto with Parmesan Cheese, some fresh Herbs, and a squeeze of Lemon Juice and it’s ready to eat!

Storing the Risotto Overnight

There’s nothing fancy needed to store the Risotto. Just throw it all into a sealable container so you can use it the next day. To make our Morel Mushroom Risotto Balls you do want the Risotto to be cold, as it’ll be a lot easier to shape into balls and coat with the breading mixture

 Preparing the Morel Mushroom Risotto Balls

So, if your Risotto was prepared correctly, it’s likely going to still be a little bit runny and difficult to shape into balls. What I recommend is adding some additional Breadcrumbs and more Parmesan Cheese into the batch of Risotto

How much to add will depend on how much Risotto you have leftover. I’d say for about 1 cup of Risotto it’s worth adding 1 tbsp. each of Breadcrumbs and Parmesan. The best gauge is to just re-shape the balls once you’ve added more Breadcrumbs and Cheese. Once they can easily be shaped into balls that retain their shape, they’re good to go

We coat the Risotto Balls in a classic Flour and Egg wash combination before giving them a thorough coating in Panko Breadcrumbs. Try to ensure the entire ball has been coated in each ingredient before you move onto the next step. It’s most important that you get a thorough coating of Panko before they are cooked

Deep Frying yields the best result

Sure, you could aim to shallow fry or even try air frying for a healthier option. However, in our experience there is no better way to cook Risotto Balls / Arancini than deep frying. Ensure there is enough Oil in the pot to completely coat the Balls, so you get an even cook

I recommend using a large pot and avoiding filling the Oil up any higher than halfway up. When the Morel Mushroom Risotto balls are added to the pot they will increase the height of the Oil. If you’ve got too much Oil in the pot, you run the risk of overflowing, which is very dangerous

Bring the Oil to around 350F (check using a thermometer) and then carefully drop the Balls into the Oil. Avoid overcrowding the Oil as this will reduce the temperature too much. It’s best to fry them off in batches

The Risotto is already cooked, so what we’re aiming for here is to get a beautiful, golden-brown coating. Just use your eyes and check every couple of minutes for doneness. You can go a little over, it’s no big deal. Just avoid burning them

Once cooked, remove the Risotto Balls from the hot oil using a spider strainer and set aside on a wire rack. Season immediately with Salt and then they are ready to serve! Like all fried food, they’re best served immediately as they’ll be beautifully hot and crispy

Morel Mushroom Risotto Balls Recipe

Ingredients

Mushroom Risotto

• 50g dried Morel Mushrooms
• 40g Unsalted Butter
• 1 Yellow Onion, finely diced
• 2 cups of Fresh Mushrooms (Button, Cremini, or Portobello), roughly chopped
• 4 Garlic Cloves, diced
• 1 ½ cups Arborio Rice
• 1 cup White Wine
• ½ cup Fresh Parsley, chopped
• Juice of ½ a Lemon
• ½ cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
• Salt and Pepper
  
  

Morel Mushroom Risotto Balls

• Neutral Frying Oil (enough to completely submerge Balls in a large pot)
• 1 cup All Purpose Flour
• 2 Eggs, whisked
• 2 cups of Panko Breadcrumbs
• Additional Parmesan Cheese
• Salt
  
  

Equipment needed: Spider Strainer

Instructions

Making Mushroom Risotto

1. Place Dried Mushrooms in a large saucepan or bowl filled with boiling water. Add at least 8 cups and allow it to steep for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally
2. Strain, reserving the liquid and Mushrooms. Set liquid over a low heat on the stovetop and dice the rehydrated Mushrooms then set aside
3. Melt Butter in a large frying pan over medium heat then add the Mushrooms and Onions. Season with Salt and Pepper and cook until the Mushrooms begin to caramelize (about 8 minutes) then add the Garlic and Rice
4. Stir through and allow Wine to burn off Alcohol then add 1 cup of Mushroom Broth. Stir until the broth has almost completely dissolved then add another cup
5. Continue this process until the Rice is cooked and the Risotto has a loose consistency (this process should take 30 minutes)
6. Remove from heat and mix through the Parmesan Cheese, Lemon Juice and Parsley. Refrigerate what you don’t eat overnight
   
   

Making the Morel Mushroom Risotto Balls

7. While cold, mix in enough additional Panko Breadcrumbs and Parmesan Cheese so the Risotto can easily be formed into balls (recommend 1 tbsp. each of Breadcrumbs and Cheese for every 1 cup of Risotto)
8. Form the Risotto into golf ball sized balls and set aside. Create a breading station by filling 3 bowls: the first with Flour and a pinch of Salt, second with whisked Eggs, and the third with 2 cups of Breadcrumbs
9. Coat the Balls in Flour, then Egg wash, then Breadcrumbs, ensuring an even coating on each layer. Set aside
10. Add enough Oil into a large pot so that the Balls will completely submerge then place over high heat until the temperature reaches 350F. Carefully add the Risotto Balls and fry until golden-brown (about 5 minutes). Avoid overcrowding the pan, so we recommend cooking in batches
11. Once cooked, remove with a spider strainer and set aside on a wire rack to remove any excess Oil. Season with Salt and serve immediately
    
    

Recipe Notes

• You can use any Neutral Oil for frying. We recommend Vegetable or Canola Oil
• We recommend using a kitchen thermometer or candy thermometer to check and monitor the Oil temperature
  
  

The richness in Mushroom flavor can’t be beat in these delicious Morel Mushroom Risotto Balls. They’re a fun and tasty way to repurpose any leftover Risotto and taste amazing!

For more delicious and creative dishes utilizing leftovers, check out our dedicated page here. Check out some of our favorite recipes using Leftovers:

• Roast Beef Arugula Salad
• Pulled Pork Empanadas
• Cheese Stuffed Peppers (Chili Rellenos)
• Fried Lasagna Rolls
  
  

Happy Cooking!