Arancini Recipe

Arancini

Risotto rice prepared and ready for flour coating

Applying the egg to the balls to allow the breadcrumbs to stick

Arancini, a great dish to make with leftover risotto, is throught to have originated from Sicily in the 10th century. They are crisp fried balls of risotto, and in our version I use traditional mozzarella, but you can use blue cheese, goats cheese or feta, all give a unique taste to the Arancini.

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12 - 15 Arancini balls

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Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 8 - 10 minutes

Ingredients

400g cooked risotto
125g mozzarella, drained and chopped into 12 to 15 cubes
100g plain flour
2 medium or large eggs, beaten
150g dried breadcrumbs
maldon salt or similar salt
Freshly ground pepper

Method

Arancini Balls

With wet hands place a tablespoon of the risotto onto the palm of your hand.
Flatten it out and place a piece of mozzarella in the centre.
Seal it by bringing the risotto round it to form a ball.
Repeat this with the rest of the risotto.

To Coat: Place the flour, beaten eggs and breadcrumbs on 3 separate plates. Roll the balls in the flour until covered, shake off the excess flour, then coat them in egg and finally roll them in the crumbs. Cook or refrigerate them until ready to cook.
To Deep Fry: Heat some oil in a deep fryer, wok or large saucepan to 190°C or until a cube of bread when dropped in the oil floats to the top and is crisp and golden. Fry a few balls at a time in the oil for 2-3 minutes turning them so that all sides are crisp and golden, remove and drain on kitchen paper. Repeat this until you have cooked all the balls.
To Serve: Serve the Arancini balls hot on their own as a starter or light meal accompanied with a rocket salad or as part of an antipasto, canapé or cold as part of a picnic.