Arancini
You know how sometimes you go out to eat and think, “Oh, that would be so easy to make at home. I should just do it.” Then you get home and think, but that seems like so much work and remember the last time you made risotto & how well that turned out?
Anyway, I have been out to eat a few times in the past few months and one thing I keep seeing everywhere is Arancini. It’s basically a ball of rice/risotto, some cheese in the middle, covered with breading (typically panko) and then fried. It’s like that SNL sketch, Delicious Dish, where all you want to do is talk about how good these balls are while you are eating them. The first time I had them they were bite-sized & served with nothing. The next time I had them they were large and served with truffle honey. I found a recipe online that served them with marinara sauce and I thought that would be a great accompaniment with the Chicken Marsala that I was going to make for dinner.
Ingredients & Directions:
- 3 C cooked mushroom risotto, cooled
- 12 mozzarella cubes, 1/2 inch
- 1 C all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 C Panko bread crumbs
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 1/2 C of marinara sauce
- 2 T of Parmesan Cheese (I actually used Asiago)
I made the mushroom risotto beforehand following this recipe (without peas..I hate peas!).
Grab a small handful of risotto and roll into a ball. Make a small hole in center of each ball with your finger and insert a piece of the mozzarella, add a little more risotto to close up the hole and form back into a ball.
Place the flour, eggs and panko crumbs in 3 separate bowls. Dredge a risotto ball in flour, shaking off excess, dip in egg, and then roll in the panko.
Fry the balls in a pan of vegetable oil on medium high heat. in small batches, carefully place the risotto balls into the oil. when one side is golden brown, turn the ball so all sides are cooked evenly, about 4 minutes total. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and let dry on paper towels to remove some of the excess oil.
Serve on a small dollop of marinara and top with a little cheese.
These really have become an obsession for me. I check restaurant menus before going out to eat. “Hmm, no Arancini here? Let’s try somewhere else.” I already have a dinner planned with Alison to get some soon and I will be making these again.
(Steven)
