Name: Fried Risotto Balls
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Cuisine: ItalianEurope
Ingredients: 1½ cup panko bread crumbs; 1 tablespoon fresh minced parsley; Salt and pepper; ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper; 2 large eggs; 4 ounces mozzarella , fontina, or provolone cheese, cut into ½-inch pieces; 3 quarts vegetable oil; Lemon wedges; 1 recipe recipe

Why This Recipe Works

Meaning “little oranges,” arancini consist of rich saffron risotto formed into large balls around a stuffing of cheese or meat and peas and deep fried until a crispy crust develops, which provides an appealing contrast to the creamy rice. It is generally believed the dish dates back to the Muslim era as the Arabs introduced both citrus fruits and saffron to Sicily. The frying stage was added later, in the 13th century, to make arancini portable and therefore one of Sicily's first take-out foods—and now one of the most commonplace bar or street foods. Since it's deep-fried, the dish might sound best left to vendors, but it's a popular dish to make at home, too; home cooks make arancini to avoid pitching leftover risotto. Arancini are actually quite simple to put together using our foolproof Risotto alla milanese for the base. We found that ½ cup of risotto wrapped around a filling of mozzarella (we liked the molten center this simple filling created) heated through in the time it took to brown the outside while turning the cheese gooey. A coating of finely ground panko bread crumbs turned supercrisp after frying and resisted absorbing oil and becoming greasy.

Instructions

Process bread crumbs in food processor to fine crumbs, 20 to 30 seconds; transfer to shallow dish. Stir in parsley, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and cayenne until combined. Beat eggs in second shallow dish. Using your moistened hands, shape ½ cup risotto into disk roughly 3 inches wide and 1 inch thick. Make shallow indentation in center of disk and pack it with 3 pieces mozzarella. Carefully fold edges of risotto over mozzarella to enclose. Gently roll risotto between your hands to form sealed ball; transfer to parchment paper–lined rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining risotto and mozzarella. (You should have 14 rice balls; rice balls can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)

Working with 1 rice ball at a time, coat in egg, allowing excess to drip off, then coat with bread crumbs, pressing gently to adhere; return to sheet.

Line second rimmed baking sheet with triple layer of paper towels. Add oil to large Dutch oven until it measures about 2 inches deep and heat over medium-high heat to 375 degrees. Carefully add 5 rice balls to oil and cook until well browned, about 5 minutes, rotating rice balls halfway through cooking. Adjust burner as necessary to maintain oil temperature between 350 and 375 degrees. Using skimmer, transfer arancini to prepared sheet; let drain. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.