I’ve been revisiting some of my favorite Ina Garten recipes from the first year of the project, especially the ones that landed on various “best of” lists but somehow haven’t made it back into my kitchen in nearly 10 years to see if they still hold up.
And happy to confirm that Ina’s Chive Risotto Cakes absolutely do.
I had some Arborio rice that needed to be used, and this was the perfect excuse. You cook the rice, then mix it with yogurt, eggs, chives, and fontina before chilling the mixture for at least 2 hours so it firms up enough to shape.
Once chilled, the mixture gets formed into patties, coated in panko, and pan-fried until golden and crisp. The result is exactly what you want: crunchy exterior, gooey cheesy interior, and the kind of appetizer/side/snack you keep “just tasting” until half the batch is gone.
Looks like these have officially earned their spot on the best-of lists.
Book: Back to Basics, page 174
Rating: 5/5
How Easy Is That – Skill Level: Easy
How Easy Is That – Time Involved: 2 hours, 50 minutes (mostly inactive)
Store-Bought Is Fine: panko
Recipe on FoodNetwork.com
What a great idea! I have some risotto that ended up being kinda blah. This sounds like a tasty way to repurpose it.