Rissoles: An Australian Favourite

The understanding of what rissoles are depends entirely on where in the world you are eating them. Rissoles, in France, are a dessert food of pears baked in batter, bread crumbed and fried; potato and meat mix in Ireland; and rissoles in Indonesia are a snack item consisting of chicken and vegetables wrapped up in batter. By contrast, rissoles in Australia are very different. Abandoning the idea of batter entirely, the rissoles we love so much resemble a meatball containing a variety of spices, breadcrumb and onion. The versatility of the rissole is a huge boon to their popularity – you could prepare parmesan pork rissoles one night and zucchini beef rissoles the week after for some healthy (and very tasty) variety.

Making rissoles your own

The very simple makeup of rissoles allows them to be a working week mainstay. A basic rissole is made up of combined minced meat, egg, breadcrumbs, garlic, and then any additional ingredients you think your dish might benefit from. The very basic recipe and flexibility of rissoles means that you can get a bit creative with them in the kitchen. Any meat will work well, whether it be lamb, chicken, beef, pork, or even turkey. Spices also go a long way to making each batch of rissoles different – rissoles with rosemary added will taste different to those with a good measure of cumin (but are sure to both taste great regardless). At the end of the day, it’s all about mood and what you might have available in your pantry, making rissoles an ideal choice for an easy, no fuss weeknight meal.

Rissoles are also great for hiding vegetables – your kids won’t know the difference! Carrots and zucchini work beautifully alongside the onion in rissoles to make sure that dinner will pack a vitamin and fibre-rich punch (we recommend also serving vegetables on the side – check out the Victorian Government’s Better Health Channel for some great ideas.)

Get to cooking your very own rissoles!

If you’re currently avoiding fat in your diet, rissoles can very easily be baked to save on use of oil. If you are baking, however, make sure to not overcook your rissoles as they can very easily become dry! Pan frying also remains a good choice for quick and tasty meal preparation.

With such a foolproof ingredient list, rissoles, whether they be pork or another kind of meat, are a great option to try on a busy night, and are tasty enough to warrant being prepared even on the weekend — make yours today!