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1
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until shimmering.
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2
Add the kale and water, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and no liquid remains, about 4 minutes.
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3
Remove to a cutting board.
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4
Wipe out the saucepan with paper towels.
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5
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and heat over medium heat until shimmering.
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6
Add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
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7
Add the rice and measured salt and pepper and stir to combine.
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8
Cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon to keep the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan, until the rice starts to crackle, about 1 minute.
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9
Stir in the wine and let simmer, stirring often, until completely absorbed, about 1 to 2 minutes.
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10
Add the broth, stir to combine, and bring to a boil.
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11
Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the rice has absorbed the broth and is cooked through, about 10 to 12 minutes.
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12
Meanwhile, finely chop the reserved kale and set it aside on the cutting board.
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13
When the rice is done, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the reserved kale and the goat cheese until evenly combined.
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14
Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
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15
Remove to a large bowl and let sit until cooled to room temperature, about 40 minutes.
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16
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 2 hours or overnight.
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17
Just before frying the cakes, pat the peppers very dry with paper towels and place them in a blender.
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18
Add the remaining measured ingredients, season with salt and pepper, and blend until smooth; set aside.
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19
Place the eggs in a shallow dish, season with salt, and beat with a fork until broken up; set aside.
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20
Place the panko in a second shallow dish; set aside.
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21
Divide the chilled risotto into 24 portions (about 2 tablespoons per portion) and place on a baking sheet (the portions dont need to be perfectly formed).
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22
Have a small bowl of water ready for moistening your hands as needed to prevent sticking while forming the patties.
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23
Form each risotto portion into a 1-1/2-inch patty and return them to the baking sheet.
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24
Working with 1 risotto cake at a time, coat it with the eggs, letting any excess drip off, then coat it evenly with the panko, pressing gently so the breadcrumbs adhere.
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25
Return it to the baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining cakes.
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26
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking (about 350 degrees F on a deep-frying/candy thermometer), about 4 minutes.
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27
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 250 degrees F and arrange a rack in the middle.
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28
Fit a wire rack over a second baking sheet; set aside.
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29
When the oil is ready, add 8 of the risotto cakes and fry until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.
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30
Flip and continue cooking, adjusting the heat as necessary, until golden brown and heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes more.
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31
Remove to the wire rack, season with salt, and place in the oven.
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32
Repeat with the remaining cakes.
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33
When ready to serve, top each cake with about 1/2 teaspoon of the red pepper sauce and serve immediately.
