Nigerian Fried Rice Arancini with Scotch Bonnet Mayo

Method

1. Melt the butter in a 24 cm pan, fry the finely diced carrot on medium heat for 1 minute, then add the sweetcorn, curry powder, thyme, crumbled stock cube and cold rice and fry for 4 min, until the rice is evenly yellow. Spread it on a tray and cool for 15 minutes, until you can handle it. Warm rice won't hold its shape.

   Add in this stepButter 15 gCarrot, very finely diced 40 gSweetcorn 40 gCurry powder 1 tspDried thyme ½ tspChicken stock cube ½Cold cooked rice 300 g

   medium heat

2. Beat all the eggs together and mix a little of it (about two-fifths) into the cooled rice with the sliced spring onions, pressing with a spatula until it turns sticky. Cut the mozzarella into 1.5 cm cubes. With slightly wet hands, take a piece of rice a bit bigger than a ping-pong ball (about 4.5 cm), push a cube of cheese into the centre and close the rice tightly around it into a ball. Make 8 in all.

   Add in this stepEggs ¾Spring onions 2Mozzarella (block) 60 g

3. Put the flour, the rest of the beaten egg and the panko in three separate dishes. Roll each ball in flour, then egg, then panko, covering it completely. Press the crumbs on firmly so no cheese can leak out.

   Add in this stepPlain flour 30 gEggs 1¼Panko breadcrumbs 60 g

4. Mix the mayonnaise with the deseeded, very finely chopped scotch bonnet and the lime juice to make the scotch bonnet mayo. Add the chilli a little at a time to control the heat.

   Add in this stepMayonnaise 3 tbspScotch bonnet chilli (or another hot chilli) ¼Lime ½

5. Pour at least 4 cm of oil into a deep pot about 18 cm wide and heat on medium-high heat to 175 °C. Without a thermometer, drop in a few crumbs: they should sizzle and float straight away. Fry in 2 batch(es) so the pot isn't crowded, turning now and then, for 3 min 30 sec until deep golden, then lift out. Let the oil come back up to temperature between batches. Keep water away from the oil, as it spits, and never leave hot oil unattended.

   Add in this stepVegetable oil for frying 500 ml

   medium-high heat

6. Drain on paper towels for 2 minutes so the cheese isn't scalding, then serve with the scotch bonnet mayo.