Sausage and Leftover Rice Fritters

Remove the casing from the 4 Italian sausage links and chop them into small pieces so they break apart easily during frying.

Place the chopped sausage in a skillet over medium/high heat and fry until well browned. Do not add oil, as the sausage will release its own fat.

Add half a finely minced onion and half a chopped red finger chili pepper to the skillet with the sausage.

Sauté for about one minute, just until the onion softens and lightly browns, absorbing the sausage seasoning.

Transfer the sausage and seasoning mixture to a large bowl.

Add the approximately 2 cups of cooked rice to the bowl, along with the grated cheese (50g), one egg, two tablespoons of breadcrumbs, and three tablespoons of all-purpose flour (or cornstarch).

Stir in a half cup of chopped chives/scallions into the mixture.

Mix all ingredients vigorously by hand to ensure the dough binds together properly for rolling.

Shape the dough into your desired form (small balls or the traditional elongated fritter shape), no need to grease your hands.

Heat enough oil for deep frying. To check the temperature, perform the stick test: if it sizzles when inserted, the oil is at the ideal temperature.

Fry the fritters in hot oil until deep golden brown, gently turning them to brown evenly.

Remove the fried fritters with a slotted spoon and drain off excess oil before serving. Alternatively, they can be made in an air fryer or a conventional oven.