Baked Risotto Cakes Made with Leftover, Well-Chilled Risotto

Baked Risotto Cakes – Crispy Outside, Soft and Tender Inside

To maintain the perfect texture and creaminess, risotto is at its best when served hot from the pan. But, then there are the more forgiving Baked Risotto Cakes made from leftover and well-chilled risotto. A dusting of brown rice flour, a stint in the oven, a dab of butter and a blast under the broiler lets you turn leftover risotto of any variation into a feast all of its own. Baked Risotto Cakes may actually become your reason for making risotto.

Roasted Asparagus Risotto

The Mediterranean Flavors Cooking Class this past weekend featured Roasted Asparagus Risotto. I made a double batch, enough to have leftovers specifically for experimenting with risotto cakes.

Every recipe I read called for cooking risotto cakes in ample butter and/or olive oil. One comment on a recipe, though, suggested baking risotto cakes. The person mentioned a crisp exterior. Following her timing and method, though, mine didn’t turn out that way. Instead, they were awfully pale and unappealing.

What to do?

A small pat of butter along with a short blast under the broiler browns my quinoa Salmon Cakes after their time in the oven. So, I popped the sad-looking risotto cakes under the broiler. Voilà, we now had golden-hued, lightly crisp on the outside and soft and tender on the inside Baked Risotto Cakes.

BTW, adding a dollop of pesto and a salad of bitter-greens made for a most delicious meal.

Baked Risotto Cakes Made with Leftover, Well-Chilled Risotto

Although Roasted Asparagus Risotto stars in this picture, any variety of leftover risotto will work. When well chilled, leftover risotto becomes thicker and dry enough to shape into cakes. Do clean your hands between forming each risotto cake, making it easier to handle the soft risotto without it sticking to them. Gluten-free.

Makes 6, one-third cup risotto cakes             Printer-Friendly Recipe
Active Time   15 minutes
Total Time   1 hour including 45 minutes for baking and broiling

Ingredients

2 cups leftover risotto, well-chilled
¼ cup brown rice flour
2 tablespoons butter divided into 12 pieces

Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking pan with parchment paper. Set up a bowl with ¼ cup brown rice flour.
2. Spray a ⅓ cup measuring cup with olive oil spray. Pack it with well-chilled risotto. Turn the risotto out onto the brown rice flour. Sprinkle the top with flour. Then flip the cake from hand to hand to lightly cover it with flour. Place the risotto cake on the prepared pan.
3. Make 5 more risotto cakes, cleaning your hands after each one.
4. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Use a spatula to carefully turn the cakes over. Bake for another 20 minutes.
5. Remove the pan from the oven. Turn the broiler to low. Dot the top of each Baked Risotto Cake with a pat of the butter. Broil for 2 minutes or until golden. Turn the risotto cakes over and dot each one with the remaining pats of butter. Broil for another 2 minutes.
6. Serve Baked Risotto Cakes with a spoonful of your favorite pesto and/or a wedge of lemon.

Printer-Friendly Recipe.