Cheesy Rice Ball Fritters

I saw these on "Down Home With The Neely's" on the Food Network. I made them for dinner last night - and they were good. All my kids agreed!
The only thing I'd do different next time is to serve them at an appetizer/potluck party instead of for dinner - they are FILLING!!

Cheesy Rice Ball Fritters
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons butter
4 ounces ham steak, diced into chunks
2 cups cooked long-grain white rice
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs, beaten*
2 cups panko bread crumbs
Peanut oil, for frying

Preheat a deep-fryer to 375 degrees F.
Saute the shallot and garlic with the butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the ham, cook until lightly crisp and then stir in the rice.
Mix the ham mixture, cream cheese, Parmesan, mozzarella, and parsley together in a large mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Roll the mixture into 2-inch balls and put on a baking sheet.
Add the flour, beaten eggs, and panko to separate pie plates. Season the panko with salt and pepper. Roll the balls through the flour, then the egg and then the panko. Gently add the fritters to the deep-fryer and fry until golden and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the fritters to a serving platter and serve.

*We have food allergies in our house - so instead of using eggs, I used a milk and sour cream blend and it worked great!