Mushroom Risotto Cakes

The mushroom risotto recipe from the previous post made enough to feed a family of 10. But since we are only a small family of three and Brian rarely eats leftovers I had no idea what to do with all that yummy goodness left in the fridge. Really, it was way too much for me to consume. I gave half the leftovers to our good friends who seem to always enjoy our food and then I made the rest into risotto cakes.

These actually were not all that great. They seemed to need some sort of sauce. The crunchy, fried outside made me think, ketchup. But that wasn't it, of course.

3 cups chilled mushroom risotto
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs (from about 4 slices firm white sandwich bread)
6 tablespoons olive oil

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. 3Form chilled risotto into 8 (3/4-inch-thick) patties using wet hands. Put flour, eggs, and bread crumbs in 3 separate shallow bowls. Coat 1 cake with flour, tapping off excess, then egg (letting excess drip off), and then bread crumbs. Transfer to wax paper. Repeat with remaining cakes.

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté 4 cakes, turning over once, until browned, 5 to 6 minutes total. Transfer with a slotted spatula to a paper-towel-lined baking pan and keep warm in oven. Heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil and sauté remaining 4 cakes in same manner.