Italian arancini

Published on 50 min main , prep-ahead

Ingredients

  • Pre-cooked risotto, ideally from the day before
  • Filling optional
  • Egg optional

Instructions

  1. Shape your rice balls, filling them if you want to.
  2. When all of your arancini have been formed, whisk together the flour, eggs, 1/2 cup of water, and a pinch of salt in a shallow bowl until smooth.
  3. Spread the breadcrumbs in a plate or baking dish.
  4. Gently roll each ball first in the egg-flour-water-salt mixture, letting any excess drip off.
  5. Then roll them in the breadcrumbs until evenly coated.
  6. At this point, you can refrigerate your arancini for 20 to 30 minutes to let them firm up if they seem a bit too loose or liquidy. If not, you can go directly to frying.
  7. Heat about 5 cm of neutral frying oil to 180 °C.
  8. Fry your arancini in batches of just 2 to 3 at a time, being careful not to overcrowd the pot until they are evenly golden brown, about 3 minutes.
  9. Transfer them to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.

Adapted from this original recipe