Fried ricotta balls are a tasty finger food without eggs, to be served with appetizers, as a starter, in buffets, homemade happy hours with friends; or when we crave something delicious and want to use up leftover ricotta. We can accompany them with fresh vegetables or homemade dips, good and very easy. We can enrich the ricotta balls with spices, cold cuts, cheeses, depending on tastes, to prepare several different versions. It is preferable to use ricotta (cow, sheep, or buffalo) with a compact and dry consistency, absolutely not creamy. We can make fried ricotta balls not only without eggs but also gluten-free, by making the batter with specific ingredients.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 20
- Cooking methods: Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 7 oz ricotta
- 1 tbsp cornstarch (also gluten-free)
- to taste fine salt
- 3 tbsp grated cheese (Parmesan and pecorino to taste)
- to taste pepper (optional)
- to taste spices and cold cuts (optional)
- to taste sunflower seed oil
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour (or other gluten-free flour)
- 2.36 oz water
- to taste breadcrumbs (also gluten-free)
Tools
- 2 Cups
- 2 Forks
- Parchment Paper
- 3 Spoons
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Air Fryer
Steps
Drain any whey from the ricotta by placing it in a strainer; it’s important that it is well-drained.
As containers for the batter and breadcrumbs I chose to use milk mugs (and not the traditional bowls) because, thanks to their shape, they are very convenient for mixtures that should be handled as little as possible, as in this case; in an easy and quick way, we can form the balls without difficulty.
Regarding the batter: if you want to prepare a gluten-free batter that’s tasty and very easy or simply give an extra touch to this delicious finger food, you can use chickpea flour, as described here.
Let’s prepare the water and flour batter.
1) Put the ricotta, cornstarch (it will help the balls stay compact), grated cheese, a pinch of freshly ground pepper, and any finely chopped spices or cold cuts in a large bowl. Mix well and form balls the size of a walnut. The mixture will have a fairly soft consistency, but don’t worry because it should be like that.
2) With the help of two long-handled spoons, take a small walnut-sized piece of mixture and try to give it a spherical shape. Place them, one by one, on a cutting board or tray with parchment paper, cover them, and leave them at room temperature (if it’s too hot, a cool place is preferable) for about an hour, to allow them to acquire more firmness.
After an hour, prepare the batter.
3) In a wide milk mug, put the sifted flour, adding the water little by little, until you form a fluid, semi-thick mixture that should not slip off our ricotta balls too easily.
4) Fill the other mug halfway with breadcrumbs (or rice or chickpea flour).
5) Dip each ricotta ball in the batter. With the help of a fork, lift it, let the batter drip a bit and plunge it into abundant breadcrumbs.
6) Take the mug with the breadcrumbs by the handle and give it a slightly rotating motion. In this way, the balls will be well coated on all sides without breaking due to their delicacy. Remove them with another fork and place them on a plate with parchment paper or simply with a bit of breadcrumbs at the bottom. Continue until the mixture is used up.
Frying
7) In a non-stick pan, put plenty of oil and bring it to temperature (you can use a convenient air fryer to save oil and time). Once the oil is ready, start frying our ricotta balls, adding them one at a time, to prevent the oil from cooling too much. Once they are golden on all sides, remove them and place them on absorbent paper.
There is no salt among the ingredients due to the abundant presence of cheese; if you find it necessary, you can salt them on the surface after cooking.
Bon appetit
