Rice and green pea arancini with yogurt sauce

Ingredients:

Arancini

• 1.5 tbsp. Arborio rice
• 450 g frozen green peas
• 4 tbsp. lightly salted vegetable broth
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup minced shallots (1 large onion)
• 1 tbsp. crushed garlic (2-3 cloves)
• 0.5 cups white wine
• 0.5 cup finely grated Parmesan
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Canola oil to grease the pan and for frying
• 110 gr. grated dry mozzarella (about 1 and 1/4 cups)
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tbsp. panko breadcrumbs

Dip sauce

• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup fresh dill sprigs
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
• 2 tbsp. l. coarsely chopped chives
• 2 tablespoons fried lemon juice, see recipe below
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup Greek yogurt

Fried lemon

• 1 teaspoon of honey
• 1/4 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 Meyer lemon, halved crosswise

Preparation:

1. Dip sauce:
   Place the basil, dill, mint, green onions, baked lemon juice, mayonnaise, and Greek yogurt in a food processor and blend until smooth. Season with salt to taste. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
2. Arancini:
   Set aside 1 cup of frozen peas. Place the remaining peas in a blender with 1 cup of vegetable broth and blend until smooth. Pour the pea mixture into a medium saucepan and add the remaining 3 cups of broth and 2 teaspoons of salt. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat.
3. In a medium Dutch oven, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add the rice and cook until opaque and lightly toasted. Add the shallots and garlic; cook for another 2-3 minutes to toast the garlic and soften the onions. Deglaze the pan with white wine, then bring to a simmer and cook until almost completely evaporated. Pour in one-third of the hot stock, reduce the heat to medium, and bring the stock to a boil, stirring frequently.
4. Continue stirring the rice for 8 minutes, until the broth is almost completely absorbed. When there is more rice than liquid in the pan, add another third of the broth and repeat for another 8 minutes. Add the remaining broth and this time stir until the rice is thick enough (it should leave a trail when you run a spoon through the rice). Remove from heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, Parmesan, lemon zest, green peas, and salt and black pepper to taste.
5. Lightly grease a baking sheet with canola oil and spread the risotto in an even layer; let cool. Once the risotto has reached room temperature, cover it with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the rice, and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
6. Form the cooled risotto into 20 arancini balls, about 1/4 cup per ball. Flatten each ball with the palm of your hand, place a heaping teaspoon of mozzarella in the center, and fold the sides around the cheese. Form the balls again. At this point, you can let the arancini rest overnight on a baking sheet covered with plastic wrap.
7. Deep fry:
   When ready to fry, heat 2-3 inches of canola oil in a large cast-iron skillet to 350°F (175°C). Line the pan with paper towels.
8. Beat the eggs in a shallow dish, season with salt and pepper. In a second shallow dish, add the panko breadcrumbs, season with salt and pepper. Dip the arancini in the egg, then roll in the breadcrumbs.
9. Fry the arancini, a few at a time, turning occasionally, until richly golden brown and crispy on all sides, about 4 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain any excess oil; season immediately with salt.
   
   Serve arancini hot with dipping sauce.
   
   Fried lemon:
   Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat and add honey and olive oil. Once the honey has melted, stir, then place the lemon halves cut-side down into the mixture. Cook until the lemons are toasted and the honey caramelizes on the cut sides, about 4 minutes. Transfer the lemons to a baking sheet and let cool.
   
   Note
   
   If you don't fry the lemon, you can replace it with 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of honey.