Pressure Cooker Braised Chinese Mushrooms with Noodles | 珍菌香菇素煨麵

附中文食譜

Earlier this summer I stumbled into a cozy local health-food cafe in the heart of the Mongkok Flower Market looking to fill my midday hunger pang. Nutritious soups, tonics and healthy desserts aside, the menu features a one and only savory and more substantial signature dish - noodles with braised assorted Chinese mushrooms - with a brief description of its health-giving properties. The bowl of noodles was simple, tasty and comforting, and perfect for a light lunch or dinner; I thought I could easily make a similar version at home with my own mix of mushrooms I have in the pantry.

Each type of precious fungi contributes to creating a complex blend of intense flavors, aroma and rich textures

Every now and then, our generally meat-heavy diet at the workplace or in dining out gets me feeling in need of a break - a desperate longing for staying in and cooking something light, satisfying, and completely meat-free, something as basic as braised mushrooms. Dried mushrooms come to the rescue on days when I am just too lazy to go all out on market visits and meal prep. Thanks to their superb meatiness, Chinese dried shiitake and monkey head mushrooms can easily be the star of any vegetarian or vegan main event. As long as they are stored in a cool place and away from direct sunlight (sometimes even in the freezer), dried mushrooms keep well and make a good pantry staple.

Cut cooking time down with a pressure cooker like this Vitavit® by Fissler

Chinese braised mushrooms is familiar to many, as they frequently make appearance at banquets and especially during Chinese New Year celebrations, where special, festive occasions will often call for the most premium grade of mushrooms braised in oyster sauce and served on a bed of greens. As Chinese mushrooms already pack a heady punch of aroma on their own, they do not require heavy seasoning, although a touch of sweet and extra umami does bring out the best of them (in comes the ever indispensable oyster sauce, whose vegetarian version is now widely available in supermarkets).

At home, braised mushrooms can be just as simply prepared, with the cooking time significantly reduced with an instant pot or pressure cooker. You can opt for the most purist of all and use only Chinese dried shiitake, or use a medley of precious fungi to create a complex blend of aroma and texture unique to each type of mushroom.

The soaking liquid, rich with intense mushroom flavor, provides the "stock" - do not discard after soaking!

Monkey head mushrooms - so named for its resemblance - are like sponges that plump up in water and add incredible depth of flavor, aroma, and a juicy, spongey bite. Porcini (I recently picked up a bag on my travels to Yunnan, China) adds richness and earthiness; while the brightly orange Cordyceps militaris brings crunch and a mild bitterness along with its purported potential to improve heart health and fight inflammation, cancer, diabetes and aging. As always, experiment your own blend and use what you have on hand!

To complete the simple dish, add a side of Asian greens and ladle the braised mushrooms over your favorite noodles, be it udon, somen, buckwheat soba, or thin egg noodles. Perhaps the most enlightening light bulb moment I had at the health-food cafe was their use of chopped Chinese celery as a garnish, which adds an uncanny layer of pleasant, medicinal flavor and crunch to the braised mushrooms. Spoon the intensely flavored mushroom "gravy" over and lunch is served!

Ingredients
50 g small Chinese dried shiitake mushroom
2 heads dried monkey head mushroom
12 g dried porcini (or other mushroom of choice)
15 g Cordyceps militaris
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 inch ginger, sliced
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
3 tablespoons oyster sauce, regular or vegetarian
1 tablespoon soy sauce
20 g rock sugar
1 star anise
3 cups (700 ml) water
1 tablespoon cornstarch (mixed with 1 tablespoon water)

Serve with:
Chinese celery, chopped | noodles of choice | greens of choice

Directions
1. Give the Chinese mushroom, monkey head mushroom, and porcini a quick rinse, then place in a large bowl and submerge in 3 cups of water for 30 mins. Trim any hard stems if necessary. Tear the monkey head mushrooms apart into smaller chunks. Squeeze excess water out of the mushrooms, reserving the soaking water. Give the Cordyceps militaris mushrooms a good rinse and set aside.

2. In instant pot, add sesame oil on medium heat. Add sliced ginger and mushrooms and stir fry for 10 seconds. Stir in the Shaoxing wine.

3. Carefully pour in the mushroom soaking water, making sure that you do not pour in any sediment or dirt from the water.

4. When the liquid comes to a simmer, stir in the oyster sauce, soy sauce, rock sugar, and star anise. Then, on medium-high heat, fasten the pressure cooker lid and set the cooking display with traffic light function on level II. Once the green ring becomes visible, reduce heat to low and set timer for 8 minutes.

5. When time is up, set the cooker aside to cool and release pressure after several minutes. Next, mix the cornstarch slurry, unfasten lid, and slowly pour in slurry while stirring constantly. Bring the contents to a boil again then turn heat off.  Remove ginger slices and star anise.

6. Arrange cooked noodles of choice and greens in a bowl, then ladle over a generous scoop of braised mushrooms and sauce. Sprinkle over chopped Chinese celery and enjoy! 

Note: to cook without using an instant pot, simply extend cooking time to 30 - 45 mins or until mushrooms are cooked and tender.

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【 珍菌香菇素煨麵 】

材料：
珍珠冬菇                      50 克
猴頭菇                           2 枚
牛肝菌                           12 克
蟲草花                           15 克
麻油                                2 茶匙
薑                                    1 寸，切片
紹興酒                           1 湯匙
蠔油或素蠔油              3 湯匙
生抽                                1 湯匙
冰糖                                20 克
八角                                1 顆
水                                    700 毫升
粟粉                                1 湯匙，打芡用

拌菜：
芹菜，切粒 | 麵條 | 青菜

做法：
1. 冬菇、猴頭菇、牛肝菌過水略為洗淨後以清水浸軟。猴頭菇去蒂並用手撕成小件。把多餘水份擠出，保留浸菇水備用。蟲草花洗淨備用。
2. 高速煲燒熱後下麻油，爆香薑片及雜菇。
3. 加入紹興酒後調大火加入浸菇水，注意把水中雜質隔開。
4. 加入蠔油、生抽、冰糖及八角。待水滾後蓋上高速鍋蓋，調校至 2 速，用中火煲至見綠環後轉慢火，計時 8 分鐘後熄火。
5. 粟粉加入一湯匙室溫水拌勻。將高速煲裡剩餘蒸氣排放後開蓋，倒入芡汁並以大火收汁，約一分鐘。把火熄掉，去除薑片和八角。
6.  把煮好的麵條、青菜放在碗裡，鋪上珍菌香菇和醬汁，最後撒上芹菜粒即成！

備註：不用高速煲，可依傳統做法 — 只要把所有燉煮材料用大火煮滾後收中慢火，蓋上煲子，煮 30 至 45 分鐘後打芡。

Tried this recipe?
Share with me or leave a comment! #alvinspenthousekitchen 
Find me on Instagram @alvinckl and @alvin.penthousekitchen and follow my Facebook Fan Page!

Bossam: Korean Boiled Pork Belly Wraps | 韓式水煮五花腩生菜包

Most of us would have tried Bossam (보쌈) at a restaurant before, a popular traditional Korean dish consisting of sliced pork belly that is cooked in a seasoned broth and eaten wrapped in leaves along with a variety of condiments. "Ssam" means wrap, and "Bo-ssam" means "wrapped" or "packaged." One theory has it that the word "bossam" evolved from the combination of two letters, 복 bok and 쌈 ssam, where bok means good fortune and together it would mean to wrap good luck in leaves. Now who doesn't like the sound of that?

The centerpiece of Bossam is of course pork belly, a succulent cut of pork that is layered with tender meat, fat, and rind that gives a toothsome chew. The pork is usually simmered for an hour or more in a seasoned broth. Here I am using a Fissler Vitavit® Comfort pressure cooker (2.5L) that not only significantly cuts down on cooking time, but also produces meat that is tantalizingly juicy and infused with remarkable flavor. Although this recipe is specially designed for the pressure cooker, it can also be made without one only with adjustments in cooking duration.

The ingredients used in the seasoned broth are pantry staples in any Korean kitchen: doenjang (Korean fermented soybean paste), onions, garlic, ginger, etc. One rather unusual addition is instant coffee - a secret ingredient used among many Korean households in making bossam that is hardly a secret anymore. The coffee helps eliminate the sometimes undesirable porky odor; at the same time, it magically enhances the flavor of the pork without actually tasting a trace of coffee. My recipe here involves a good amount of ingredients - all of which combines to give an intense flavor enough for the pork belly to stand on its own even without any condiments. The aroma of all the spices and ingredients is absolutely sensational - and smells distinctly Korean - so don't forget to take a moment to take a whiff before putting on the lid!

Now, straight out of the cooking broth the pork belly will look somewhat drab - flavorful to say the least, but looking rather plain and nothing out of the ordinary. Boiled meat is what it is; that is what you'll usually be served in a restaurant. But if you are like me, you're gonna want to take the bossam to the next level by taking just one simple extra step. Give the pork belly a quick sear on the pan, and you will get this magnificent golden brown that not only kicks the flavor up a notch but also makes the pork belly that much sexier.

Bossam is typically accompanied with a whole host of condiments and sides. For the wrap itself, it is common to use different lettuces, aromatic perilla leaves (a.k.a. wild sesame leaves), as well as pickled or brined cabbage. Napa cabbage is soaked in salt water for anywhere between thirty minutes up to several hours to soften the leaves while preserving a sweet, tender crunch. Some typical sides and toppings include spicy oyster radish kimchi, fresh kimchi, saewoojeot-jang (salted shrimp sauce), ssamjang (Korean spicy dip for wraps and meats), sliced chilies, and raw or toasted garlic slivers. Incorporate as much as you wish, or keep it simple!

For my recipe for homemade kimchi, please click:

Traditional Korean Napa Cabbage Kimchi (Bae-Chu Kimchi)
For my recipe for kimchi fried rice, please click:

Kimchi Fried Rice (Kimchi Bokkeumbap)

That said, the ssamjang is indispensable when making any ssam. It is what gives that punch and "pow" to any grilled meats or lettuce wraps. It can be easily be store-bought, yet just as easily homemade with your own seasonings ('coz who needs another thing to take up precious space in my refrigerator?). The recipe is included below! So, are you ready to get cooking? In no time I promise you will find yourself yet another favorite go-to for potluck parties!

What you'll need...
700 g (1.5 lb) fresh pork belly, rinsed and drained
1 medium onion, quartered
1 inch ginger, sliced thinly

7 plump garlic cloves
2 white parts of leeks
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 tablespoons doenjang
2 tablespoon rice wine or sake
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon instant coffee
4 cups (1 L) water

Cabbage wraps:
1 small napa cabbage
1/4 cup coarse salt
3 cups warm water

Ssamjang:
1 1/2 tablespoons doenjang
1 tablespoon gochujang
3 garlic cloves, minced
Toasted sesame oil
Spring onion, chopped
Sesame seeds, toasted

Directions
1. Prepare the cabbage: dissolve coarse salt in warm water, quarter the cabbage lengthwise and submerge in the salt water. Let soak, flipping every now and then, ensuring that the leaves are completely submerged, 30 minutes up to 2 hours. Rinse and drain well.

2. Combine all broth ingredients in pressure cooker and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Add pork belly and return to a boil, observing the maximum capacity level and removing excess liquids if necessary. Then, on medium-high heat, fasten the pressure cooker lid and set the cooking display with traffic light function on level II. Reduce heat to low and set timer for 10 minutes once the green ring becomes visible.

3. When time is up, set the cooker aside to cool until fully depressurized. Unfasten the lid and remove pork belly from the broth. For enhanced flavor and color, continue with this step; otherwise, skip to the next step. Let pork belly rest and drain for several minutes. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and quickly sear the pork belly on both sides until golden brown.

4. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Prepare ssamjang by mixing all the ingredients and season to taste. Slice pork belly to desired thickness and arrange on a platter and serve warm with ssamjang, cabbage, various lettuces, perilla leaves, sliced garlic and chilies. Enjoy!!

Note: If using a regular large pot, bring broth ingredients to a boil and add pork belly. Return to a boil then cover pot with a lid and simmer on medium heat for 45 minutes to an hour, depending on size of pork belly.

【 韓式水煮五花腩生菜包 】

材料：
新鮮五花腩                       700 克
洋蔥                                   1 隻，開四
薑                                       1 寸，切片
蒜                                       7 瓣
大蔥（白色部分）             2 根
月桂葉                                2 片
韓國大醬                            1 1/2 湯匙
清酒                                   2 湯匙
紅糖                                   1 湯匙
黑椒原粒                            1 茶匙
即溶咖啡                            1 茶匙
水                                         1 公升

旺菜包
旺菜                                    1 小棵
粗鹽                                    50 克
溫水                                    710 毫升

韓國沾肉醬
韓國大醬                            1 1/2 湯匙
韓國辣醬                            1 湯匙
蒜蓉                                    3 瓣
麻油                                    適量
蔥花                                    適量
芝麻                                    適量

做法：
1. 把粗鹽加入溫水拌勻。旺菜開四，放入鹽水醃最少半小時至兩小時，期間偶然把旺菜翻動。醃好後瀝乾水份備用。醃好的旺菜會軟中帶爽、輕微鹹中帶甜。

2.  把所有燉煮材料放入高速煲，用大火煮滾後放入五花腩。待水滾後蓋上高速鍋蓋，調校至 2 速，用中火煲至見綠環後轉慢火，計時 10 分鐘後熄火。

3. 待指示燈降至原位後小心排放剩餘蒸氣然後開蓋。想更加色香味俱全的話，可以繼續此步驟；否則可跳往下一步。把五花腩拿出來靜置數分鐘。燒熱易潔鍋，用猛火將五花腩兩邊快速煎香至金黃色。

4.  把五花腩靜置 10 分鐘。把沾醬材料拌勻再依個人喜好作調味。將五花腩切片上碟，配以韓國沾肉醬、旺菜、生菜、紫蘇葉、蒜片和辣椒即成！

備註： 不用壓力煲，可依傳統做法 — 只要把所有燉煮材料和五花腩用大火煮滾後收中慢火，蓋上煲子，視乎五花腩大小煮 45 - 60 分鐘。

[Follow me on Instagram @alvinckl and @alvin.penthousekitchen and check out my Facebook Fan Page!]

Black Ink Risotto with Baby Squid | 香濃墨汁魷魚意大利飯 | Risotto al Nero di Seppia

附中文食譜

The last time I have ever come close to dismembering any animal parts was most likely back in grade school, when I had to pair up in teams and dissect a leggy, lifeless frog and a gruesomely gelatinous bull's eye in biology lab. Yes, the murky bovine eyeball stared listlessly at me as our surgical knife drew close to its retina. The rest was a blur. Not that I fainted, just that the surgical knives never landed on my hands as far as I could remember.

I can't say it was a momentously life-changing experience, nor am I particularly squeamish when it comes to handling (non-living) animal parts. So when chance comes for me - as I stand before a friendly fishmonger at the wet market - to choose whether or not to have her gut out some baby squids, I decide to take the matter into my own hands.

After all, this is my chance to get to understand these fascinating underwater creatures deeper and, if anything, to appreciate the precious creatures that provide us food.

If you have never cleaned a squid before, I strongly encourage you to give it a try! Not only is it much easier than it looks, you will also get to harvest the ink sac and make the most out of each squid.

When German cookware brand Fissler invited me to design a one-pot seafood recipe specially tailored for their Vitavit® series pressure cooker, my mind hustled to come up with a type of seafood that could withstand intense steam pressure. The squid, cuttlefish, and the octopus come to mind - cephalopods that are best either flash cooked or slow-braised till tender, lest they turn into rubber.

Squids are excellent slow-braised and in stews, and are well-suited for pressure-cooking!

Cleaning squid is easy, fun... and can get inky!

So, can squid be cooked in a pressure cooker? The answer is yes! It can even conveniently pair up with risotto all in one pot to create a version of the Venetian classic, Risotto al Nero di Seppia - or squid ink risotto. Given just 8 minutes and some time to rest, the squid becomes remarkably tender and infuses the rice with intense flavor. In just a snap, dinner's ready!

The addition of squid ink adds extraordinary complexity, a rich brininess, and a luscious, moody hue to the dish. Squid ink (interchangeable with cuttlefish ink) often comes in jars or sachets and are sold at a premium in Italian and Spanish specialty stores and gourmet markets. You could also harvest your own from the squids you clean; though the smaller the squid, the less ink it carries, and you may find yourself burning daylight to salvage the fragile little ink sacs for a trivial amount of ink enough to only turn rice into a dirty grey. For more drastic flavor and color, you may be better off to purchase ink (speaking from personal experience). Finally, though adding tomatoes is optional, I find a little tomato paste helps give acidity and balances out the brininess of the risotto.

All done in one pot, without the need to ladle stock over and over!

Step by step: how to clean squids

With the thumb and index finger of one hand grasping right above the eyes, gently detach and pull the mantle away with the other hand, discarding the entrails and reserving the silvery ink sac if desired. Remove the quill located inside the mantle and rinse the tube thoroughly. With a sharp knife, severe the tentacles right underneath the eyes. Remove the beak by giving the base of the tentacles a squeeze and an inedible cartilage will pop out. Using a pair of kitchen sheers, snip the two extra long tentacles and reserve (optional).

Keeping the skin on will retain the natural purple

What you'll need... (2-3 persons)
300 g fresh squid (5-6 small squids)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small brown onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup (200 g) Arborio rice
3/4 cup white wine
1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon squid ink, or more if desired
2 cups (470 ml) fish or chicken stock, heated
Micro-greens or chopped fresh parsley, for garnishing

Directions...
1. Clean the squids and reserve ink sacs if desired, or have the fishmonger clean them for you. Snip the extra long tentacles off and mince, set aside.

2. Melt butter on medium heat and add olive oil to the base of the pressure cooker. Saute onion until softened, about one minute, then stir in garlic and saute briefly. Add rice and stir continuously until rice is evenly coated in oil and toasted but not browned, about 3 minutes. Rice grains should start to appear translucent around the edges. Add minced tentacles and stir to combine.

Open and stir: the rice will absorb any remaining stock

3.  Add wine and cook, stirring, until the raw alcohol smell has cooked off and wine has almost fully evaporated. Stir in tomato paste, squid ink, and any ink from reserved ink sacs. Pour in stock and add squid. Then, on medium-high heat, fasten the pressure cooker lid and set the cooking display with traffic light function on level II. Reduce heat to low and set timer for 8 minutes once the green ring becomes visible.

5. When time is up, set the cooker aside to cool until fully depressurized, about 8-10 minutes. Unfasten the lid and lift carefully away from yourself. Give the rice a stir and allow it to absorb any remaining liquids. Plate and garnish with chopped fresh parsley or a handful of micro-greens. Serve immediately. Buon appetito!

【 香濃墨汁魷魚意大利飯 】

以鮮魷魚拌上烏黑香濃的墨魚汁，打做成濃稠綿糯、
充滿夏日海洋氣息的墨汁意大利飯... 味道非筆「墨」所能形容！
只需運用壓力煲就能在家中輕易做出威尼斯特色菜式—
達到五星級水準零難度！

材料（ 2-3 人份量 ）

本食譜為 Fissler 壓力煲特別設計

鮮魷魚仔             300 克（約 5-6 隻）
牛油                     15 克
橄欖油                 1 湯匙
洋蔥                      1 小個（切粒）
蒜頭                      2瓣（切粒）
意大利米             200 克
白酒                      180 毫升
蕃茄膏                 半 湯匙
墨魚汁                 1 茶匙
魚湯或雞湯        470 毫升，煮熱
蕃茜                     適量，裝飾用

做法
1. 準備及洗淨魷魚。將較長的兩條觸鬚剪掉並將其剁碎備用。
2. 燒熱壓力煲後下牛油和橄欖油，放入洋蔥，用中火炒約 1 分半鐘至軟身，加入蒜蓉炒香，再放入米並炒勻至米粒稍顯透明。拌入剁碎了的魷魚鬚。
3. 加入白酒，炒勻至白酒完全被吸收。加入蕃茄膏和墨魚汁，拌勻。加入熱高湯，蓋上高速鍋蓋，調校至 2 速，用中火煲至見綠環後轉慢火，計時 8 分鐘後熄火。
4. 待指示燈降至原位，約 8-10 分鐘後開蓋。輕輕攪拌意大利飯，飯粒會自然把剩餘的水份完全吸收掉，做成濃稠綿糯、幼滑如絲的質感。最後，用蕃茜裝飾即成！

[Follow me on Instagram @alvinckl and @alvin.penthousekitchen and check out my Facebook Fan Page!]

Arancini al Pesto | 意式羅勒醬芝士炸飯糰

When German cookware brand Fissler offered me the one-in-a-million chance to star in a two-minute video showcasing their products and my own recipe, I had some sort of idea what challenge I am getting myself into. Design one Italian vegetarian recipe that makes use of two or more of the following products: a pressure cooker, a hand blender, and a frying pan. Sounds simple, eh?

I was thrilled for the vegetarian theme, a challenge I find timely as I increasingly lean towards a plant-based diet. But what is one to do with a pressure cooker, a hand blender, and a frying pan with a meatless recipe? Surely, plain old risottos have been tried and done, pasta has no place in this challenge, and I was certain an everyday Italian tomato sauce wasn't going to make the cut. With no oven available at the site of filming, I have also ruled out the aubergine.

Baffled and tickled, I imagined myself on the set of Guy's Grocery Games, faced with the challenge of creating a winning dish using all the provided equipment with an open pantry. My mind searched for delicacies I have tasted across Italy over the years. It was then when a light bulb flickered in my head. Ah, the arancini, or "little oranges" - the spherical Sicilian cousin of the Roman suppli, a popular street food consisting of a deep fried ball of rice and typically a filling of meat and tomato sauce, peas, and melted mozzarella.

Who doesn't like the sound of delicious, crunchy, balls of flavorsome rice coated in breadcrumbs and a hidden surprise of melted mozzarella that pulls with each bite? With the arancini little known in Hong Kong, I knew the audience would be in for a trip. I henceforth set off my journey of hunting for ingredients overseas, testing and adapting, and frying away at home in the weeks leading to the video shoot.

Breaking away from tradition, the filling for arancini is only confined by imagination. That's when I thought I am going to make Arancini al Pesto (what's not to love with fresh homemade pesto?) - cook risotto in the pressure cooker (check), make breadcrumbs and pesto with the hand blender (check), and finally fry the balls in the pan (check!!)! The ensuing journey isn't without any hiccups though as I slowly get myself acquainted with the pressure cooker. The result, however, is a foolproof recipe specially developed for the Fissler pressure cooker, a truly magical kitchen companion that cuts cooking time drastically and delivers amazing results.

This recipe, of course, can be adapted to most kitchens without a pressure cooker. Increase the amount of stock and add to the rice a little at a time and continuously stir, until all the stock has been used up and the rice is cooked, yet still al dente.

Notes:
•  If possible, make the risotto ahead of time and let it cool completely or even refrigerated overnight as the rice tends to stick better. For this reason, leftover risotto is often used for making arancini.
• Pesto can be made with various kinds of nuts or seeds, with pine nuts being the most recognized ingredient in pesto alla Genovese. Opt for sunflower seeds for a more economical alternative without sacrificing any flavor or texture!
•  If serving arancini immediately, lower slightly the heat of the frying oil and increase the frying time for the rice balls to ensure that the mozzarella melts inside. Otherwise, remove the balls once golden brown and warm or reheat in the oven when ready to serve.

What you'll need...
For the Risotto:
1 cup (200 g) Arborio rice           
1 small brown onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup (120 ml) white wine
1 1/2 (350 ml) cup vegetable or chicken stock, warmed
1/3 cup (30 g) grated Parmesan cheese
A heaping tablespoon frozen peas
1 tablespoon (15 g) butter
Black pepper, to taste

For the Pesto:
1 bunch basil (2 cups packed)
2-3 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, to taste
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

For the Arancini (makes 8):
1 recipe for risotto, as above
1 1/2 tablespoons pesto, recipe as above
1/2 x 125g ball of mozzarella cheese (cut into 1/2-inch cubes)
All-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
Breadcrumbs, homemade* or store-bought
Vegetable oil, for frying

*Note: For homemade breadcrumbs, tear stale bread into chunks and blitz into medium-fine breadcrumbs, then spread on a sheet pan and toast in oven at 180C/350F until golden brown.

Cooking the Risotto

1. Melt butter on medium heat on the base of the pressure cooker. Add onion and saute until softened, about one minute, then stir in garlic and saute briefly. Add rice and cook, stirring, until rice is evenly coated in butter and toasted but not browned, about 3 minutes. Rice grains should start to appear translucent around the edges.

2. Add wine and cook, stirring, until the raw alcohol smell has cooked off and wine has almost fully evaporated. Pour in stock, then, on medium-high heat, fasten the pressure cooker lid and set the cooking display with traffic light function on level II. Reduce heat to low and set timer for 8 minutes once the green ring becomes visible.

3. When time is up, set the cooker aside to cool. Release the remaining steam and lift the lid carefully away for yourself. Stir in grated Parmesan and frozen peas, and season with black pepper. Set risotto aside to cool completely or refrigerate overnight.

Making the Pesto

1. Blend basil, sunflower seeds, garlic, olive oil, and half of the lemon juice in a blender or food processor. Taste and add more add lemon juice and season with salt and pepper as desired.

Making the Arancini

1. Stir 1 1/2 tablespoon of pesto into the cooled risotto and mix well, adding more if necessary.

2. Place and flatten a scoop of rice in your palm, place a cube of mozzarella in the center, then enclose with another scoop of rice and roll and shape into a ball. In the following order, roll the shaped arancini in flour, beaten egg, and breadcrumbs.

3. Heat oil in a deep pan or saucepan over high heat. To test the oil is ready, drop a few breadcrumbs - if they sizzle and float, it is ready. Carefully lower the arancini in batches and fry until golden and crispy. Transfer to kitchen paper to drain and serve. Buon appetito!

《意式羅勒醬芝士炸飯糰》 

平時 Risotto 就見得多、食得多喇，

食剩又唔知點算好？

今日就試下將 Risotto 化身為脆卜卜、

既可口又充滿驚喜既【意式羅勒醬芝士炸飯糰】啦！

今次為這個傳統西西里島道地街頭小食

注入新元素 —— 簡易自家製羅勒醬；

飯糰裡面更藏有莫薩里拉芝士，

大大啖咬開時芝士更會拉出來添！

意大利飯
意大利米             200 克
洋蔥                      1 小個（切粒）
蒜頭                      2瓣（切粒）
白酒                      120 毫升
蔬菜高湯             350 毫升
巴馬臣芝士碎    30 克
青豆                      15 克
牛油                      15 克
黑胡椒                  適量

1. 熱鍋下牛油，放入洋蔥，用中火炒約 1 分半鐘至軟身，加入蒜蓉炒香，再放入米並炒勻至米粒稍顯透明。
2. 加入白酒，炒勻至白酒完全被吸收。加入高湯，待微滾後蓋上高速鍋蓋，調校至 2 速，用中火煲至見綠環轉慢火，計時 8 分鐘後熄火。
3. 待指示燈降至原位，開蓋。放入芝士碎和青豆，拌勻並作適當調味。放涼或隔夜備用。

羅勒醬
新鮮羅勒葉          約 50 克
蒜頭                       2 辦
葵花籽                  約 2 湯匙（可用松子仁、腰果、杏仁等）
初榨橄欖油          2 - 3 湯匙
新鮮檸檬汁          約 2 茶匙
鹽，黑胡椒          適量

1. 所有材料放入隨機附送的粉碎器中，用一字頭高速攪拌約 30 秒即成。

意式羅勒醬芝士炸飯糰
意大利飯              以上食譜
羅勒醬                  適量
莫薩里拉芝士    半個（切 1/2" x 1/2" 粒）
麵粉                      適量
雞蛋                      1 隻
麵包糠                  適量
米糠油                  油炸用

1. 將適量羅勒醬拌入已經放涼或隔夜的意大利飯內。
2. 用手拿出一小份意大利飯，包入芝士，搓成球狀。
3. 依次序將飯糰沾上麵粉、蛋液、和麵包糠。
4. 用熱油炸至金黃色即成！

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