Executive Chef Josh Bettis of The Brown Hotel in Louisville takes readers around the world with creative, internationally inspired recipes, including the one below, using Thanksgiving leftovers. Included are dishes with Sicilian, Polish and Mexican/Central American origins, and for those who want to feel less “stuffed” the day after the holiday meal, a healthy wrap.
-Sweet Potato Arancini
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup Arborio rice
½ cup leftover cooked turkey, minced
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
½ cup leftover dressing or stuffing, finely chopped
2 ounces cooked sweet potatoes, pureed
Salt and pepper
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
2 cups breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
Vegetable oil
1 cup cranberry sauce
¼ cup orange juice
1. In a medium saucepan on high, add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir in rice. Reduce heat to low and simmer until tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Drain excess water.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine cooked rice with turkey, Parmesan cheese, dressing and sweet potato puree. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread mixture on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cool completely.
3. Once mixture has cooled, divide it into 16 half-inch balls. Refrigerate balls for two more hours.
4. Set up a breading station with three medium bowls of flour, eggs and breadcrumbs with parsley, respectively. Roll balls in the flour, dip in the egg and then roll in breadcrumbs to completely cover.
5. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 inch of vegetable oil to 350 degrees over medium heat. Fry rice balls in batches until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels and season with salt.
6. In a blender, combine cranberry sauce with orange juice. Blend until smooth.
7. Serve rice balls while hot with cranberry-orange dipping sauce.