Saffron arancini with roast garlic aioli and gremolata

The basis of this dish, the risotto, makes for a fabulous meal in its own right, or as an accompaniment to slow-roasted beef or veal. It’s also the basis for arancini, my favourite canapé of all time.

MAKES 16 ARANCINI

FOR THE RISOTTO

★ 80g butter

★ 1 celery stick, finely chopped 1 shallot, finely chopped

★ 300g Arborio risotto rice

★ 800ml chicken or vegetable stock Small pinch saffron strands

★ 200ml white wine

★ 50g Parmesan

★ 50g plain flour

★ 1 egg, beaten

★ 50g panko breadcrumbs

★ 1L sunflower or vegetable oil, for frying FOR THE AIOLI

★ 2 large garlic cloves

★ 1 large egg yolk

★ 250ml rapeseed oil or sunflower oil

★ Juice of ½ lemon

FOR THE GREMOLATA

★ Small bunch parsley, very finely chopped

★ 1 garlic clove, grated

★ Zest of 1 lemon

1 To make the risotto, gently melt 40g of the butter in a large, heavy-based saucepan. Sweat the celery and shallot in the butter for 5min until soft, but not browned. Add the rice, stir to coat and toast for 2min.

2 Heat the stock with the saffron in a small saucepan to a gentle simmer. Add half the wine to the rice and stir until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Add a ladle of the stock and allow to absorb, stirring regularly. Repeat with the rest of the wine and then the remaining stock, a ladle at a time, until the rice is cooked. If you need more liquid, use hot water.

3 Add the remaining butter, grate in the Parmesan and season with black pepper and a little salt. Transfer the risotto to a container, allow to cool, then cover and chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours.

4 To make the aioli, preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas mark 4. Place the garlic cloves, unpeeled, on a tray and roast for 30min.

5 Place the egg yolk in a bowl and whisk for 1min. Using a jug, drip the oil very slowly into the yolk, whisking constantly. Once the mixture starts to emulsify and thicken, add the oil in a thin stream. If it starts to split, add a dash of hot water and whisk until it comes back together.

6 Once you have a thick, mayonnaise-like consistency, add the lemon juice and squeeze in the roasted garlic from the skins. Whisk well, taste and add a little salt and more lemon juice, if needed.

7 To make the gremolata, mix together the chopped parsley, grated garlic and lemon zest in a small bowl with a little salt and set aside in the fridge.

8 When ready to serve, shape the cold risotto into golf-ball-sized rounds. Place the flour, egg and breadcrumbs in separate bowls and coat each ball first with the flour, then egg and the breadcrumbs. Place on a tray.

9 Heat the oil in a high-sided pan to 170°C. If you don’t have a thermometer, place a cube of bread in the oil. When it's turned golden brown, the oil is at the right temperature. Fry the arancini three or four at a time until golden. Don’t let the oil get too hot otherwise the arancini will brown too quickly and the insides will be cold. Drain on kitchen paper and repeat with the remaining balls.

10 Serve immediately. Enjoy dipped first in the aioli, then the gremolata.