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！

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

Fissler X SOGO "Go Green" Italian Fair 素食煮意! | 26-3-2018

默默耕耘地籌備了一整個月，經過多方合作，這段小小的大製作終於面世了！

今次有幸與德國廚具品牌 Fissler HK x SOGO 合作，運用指定廚具，

為 Fissler 設計了特色意大利素菜款式，簡單快捷、滋味無窮！

感謝各位演過「白老鼠」試食的朋友和大家的支持，還有每一位專業的工作人員！大家估唔估倒做了什麼菜式？

Filming in progress at the Fissler store, SOGO (CWB)

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?

Me with the very patient Director Andrew Ng!

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.

Click here to check out the post on Facebook Fan Page!

Fun moments from my many recipe trials at home in the weeks leading up to the shoot. And Marsha (right), my trusted neighbor and buddy who is all too happy to be my guinea pig and critic.

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. 

The filming on March 26 took place at Fissler's Store at SOGO, Causeway Bay, and lasted four hours, with an occasional live audience of shoppers and onlookers!

Click here for the recipe in English and Chinese!
Arancini al Pesto | 意式羅勒醬芝士炸飯糰

One of the first trials on plating style

官方 Official Facebook 網站： 
【SOGO Go Green X Italian Fair素食煮意】意式廚房最green嘅係乜？梗係羅勒醬喇！想從羅勒醬開始食得green啲，不如試下易上手、超好味嘅意式羅勒醬芝士炸飯糰，睇住片就可以跟著Chef Alvin一齊煮喇！

"What is the greenest thing you can find in an Italian kitchen? Are you thinking basil? Starting from this week, why not try going on a green diet by using Basil pesto to make Arancini al Pesto by following an easy recipe? Click below to watch Chef Alvin prepare the dish!"

See the video here: https://www.facebook.com/sogohongkong/videos...

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

Huevos Rancheros | 墨西哥農場煎蛋早餐

附中文食譜

For many people, a particular dish brings memories or harbors significant emotions. It could be your mom's hand wrapped dumplings, the ramen that you subsisted on during late-night college days, or even Jagerbombs (just the thought of it makes my insides turn - I will spare you on the details).

I remember my very first taste of huevos rancheros, a humble, staple Mexican desayuno freshly cooked up in a community kitchen where we started our days volunteering for Habitat for Humanity in an impoverished neighborhood in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

That was now nearly fifteen years ago, I then a more rotund college Junior, criminally misinformed and ignorant about Mexican cuisine after years of cattle-feeding on soupy enchiladas and goopy "salsa" poured out from factory-sized tubs a.k.a. high school lunch grub. These huevos rancheros were vibrant in color, the frijoles refritos soul-warming, the sunny-side-up perfectly crisped on the edges, the spicy red salsa fresh and well-balanced, and the tortilla underneath them all golden and crunchy. It had me asking for more. It was something I have never had before. A moment of revelation, a culinary discovery. Had I have a smartphone back then (those were the days before terms like selfies and food porn came to be), I would have most likely snapped one too many photos. Fortunately, the memories and experience live on. I can still recall the face of the lady who lovingly prepared and served us meals, her painted, arched eyebrows, her wide smile, and warmhearted hospitality.

Fire-roasted tomatoes for maximum flavor

Fifteen years later, I finally put this itch to rest. I have been procrastinating for too long to revisit this memory. And thus I picked up a few things from the groceries on my recent layover in Los Angeles, scoured through my pantry, invited a dear friend over to be my guinea pig, and made huevos rancheros.

Huevos rancheros - "rancher's-style" eggs - are basically eggs served on a corn tortilla with a spicy tomato-chili salsa - a simple, stress-free, quick affair with minor variations in accompaniments across different households and regions. I like mine served with refried black beans ('coz why not?) for extra fiber and dimension, just like how I remembered. The tortilla can be either crunchy fried (more like a tostada) or lightly charred according to preference, so long it holds the wet sauce without disintegrating into mush.

Chile Guajillo, adds depth and smokiness

For the recipe, I base mine mostly on J. Kenji Lopez-Alt's from Serious Eats. For the red sauce, make use of tinned tomatoes to make your life easy - if you can find fire-roasted tomatoes in a can, all the better. I followed his suggestions and tossed in toasted Mexican dried chilies (I happen to have dried Guajillo chilies sitting in the back of my cramped pantry) for extra depth and smokiness. Substitute with Chinese dried chilies or crushed red pepper if unavailable. To finish the dish, top with crumbled cheese, cilantro, avocado, sliced cherry tomatoes, fresh jalapeños and add a side of Mexican street corn as desired.

A fiesta for the eyes, a party for your tastebuds!

What you'll need...
1 medium onion, finely sliced
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1-2 whole dried Mexican chilies (ancho, guajillo, or morita)*
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 14 oz. (400 g) can crushed tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted
2 whole chipotle chilies packed in adobo from can
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro, stem and leaves, plus more for serving
Squeeze of lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Fresh corn tortillas
Eggs
Canned or homemade black or pinto refried beans, heated, for serving
Crumbled Cotija cheese^, for serving
Avocado, for serving (optional)
Sliced cherry tomatoes, for serving (optional)

Notes:
* If not available, substitute with Chinese dried chilies or crushed red pepper flakes.
^ I used crumbled queso fresco. If neither are available, substitute with crumbled feta cheese.

Directions...

1. Trim tops off the dried chilies and discard seeds. Pop into microwave and heat on High for 15 minutes until softened and fragrant. Snip into thin strips and set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan, heat oil and add onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until softened and just starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add oregano, cumin, and chili strips and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add tomatoes and chipotle chilies with their sauce and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Puré mixture with an immersion blender or in a blender. Stir in cilantro, soy sauce, a squeeze lime, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside and keep warm.

4. In a cast iron skillet or non-stick pan, heat oil and lightly fry corn tortillas one at a time, until lightly charred on each side but still pliable. Transfer to a paper towel to drain and stack them as you go. Cover with foil to keep warm.

5. Using the same skillet or separate pan, heat oil over medium-high heat until oil is shimmering. Fry eggs, using a spoon to baste the tops with hot oil as they cook in order to help set the upper whites while keeping the yolk completely runny. Fry until crisp on the bottom and edges and whites are set. Season with salt and pepper.

6. To serve, smear refried beans on each tortilla, top with a fried egg, and spoon salsa over the top, keeping the yolk exposed. Finish with a sprinkle of cotija cheese, sliced cherry tomatoes, and minced cilantro a Enjoy immediately. Buen provecho!

《墨西哥農場煎蛋早餐》

這一頓簡單而豐富的早餐，就是十五年前令我對墨西哥地道菜一見鍾情的那一道菜式。
十五年後的我終於重溫當年在墨西哥當義工時吃過的一頓難忘的早餐。

材料：
洋蔥  1 小個  切絲
蒜頭  3 瓣  剁碎
墨西哥乾辣椒  1 - 2 隻（ancho/guajillo/morita/或用一般辣椒乾代替）
乾奧勒岡  半 茶匙（墨西哥的品種最為理想）
小茴香粉  般茶匙
罐裝番茄  400 克（fire-roasted 的最為理想）
罐裝墨西哥 chipotle 辣椒 in adobe sauce  2 條
芫荽（剁碎）7 克
新鮮青檸汁  少量
生抽  1 湯匙
墨西哥玉米捲餅皮
雞蛋

自選配料：
罐裝豆泥
Cotija 芝士碎（或用 feta 芝士代替）
芫荽碎
牛油果
車厘茄  切片

做法：
1. 墨西哥乾辣椒先去頭去籽，放進微波爐以強波叮 15 秒至軟化和帶香。用剪刀把辣椒剪成絲，備用。

2. 小煲中落油炒香洋蔥和蒜頭，約 5 分鐘。加入乾辣椒絲、奧勒岡和小茴香粉，炒約 15 秒後再加入罐裝番茄和 chipotle 辣椒。煮開後轉小火加蓋燜煮 10 分鐘。

3. 用手持式攪拌捧或攪拌機把煲中食材打成蓉。拌入芫荽、生抽和青檸汁再作適當調味。備用。

4. 鑄鐵鍋或易潔鍋中落油把捲餅皮逐一煎至輕微焦香及軟中帶脆，並用錫紙保溫。

5. 煎太陽蛋。

6. 完成品製作步驟：煎好的捲餅皮上先塗上一層豆泥，然後放上一隻太陽蛋，再淋上番茄辣椒莎莎醬（不要完全覆蓋太陽蛋啊，特別是蛋黃啊！），最後撒上芝士碎、芫荽、車厘茄，牛油果和青檸角拌碟，完成！

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