Arancini
An Italian rice ball made with white wine risotto, and a gooey mozzarella center. Fantastic for lunch or dinner - can be frozen.
Ingredients
Serves: 18
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1 cup (200g) uncooked Arborio rice
- 1/2 cup (125ml) dry white wine
- 2 1/2 cups (625ml) boiling chicken stock
- 1/2 cup (60g) frozen green peas
- 50g finely chopped ham
- 1 pinch salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup (40g) finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 110g mozzarella cheese, cut into 2cm cubes
- 1/2 cup (60g) plain flour
- 1 cup (100g) dry bread crumbs
- 1 cup (250ml) vegetable oil for deep frying
Directions
Prep:30min ›
Cook:30min ›
Ready in:1hr
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring until onion is soft but not browned. Pour in the rice, and cook stirring for 2 minutes, then stir in the wine, and continue cooking and stirring until the liquid has evaporated. Add hot chicken stock to the rice 1/3 cup at a time, stirring and cooking until the liquid has evaporated before adding more.
- When the chicken stock has all been added, and the liquid has evaporated, stir in the peas and ham. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat, and stir in the Parmesan cheese. Transfer the risotto to a bowl, and allow to cool slightly.
- Stir the beaten egg into the risotto. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining egg and milk with a fork. For each ball, roll 2 tablespoons of the risotto into a ball. Press a piece of the mozzarella cheese into the center, and roll to enclose. Coat lightly with flour, dip into the milk mixture, then roll in bread crumbs to coat.
- Heat oil for frying in a deep-fryer or large deep saucepan to 175 degrees C (350 degrees F). Fry the balls in small batches until evenly golden, turning as needed. Drain on paper towels. Keep warm in a low oven while the rest are frying.
These freeze well before or after frying. Fry frozen uncooked rice balls as in step 4. For already fried, reheat in a preheated 350 degree (175 degrees C) oven for 25 to 20 minutes.
These are not suitable to microwave
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Reviews and ratings
Global ratings:
(76)
Reviews in English (61)
The obscenities flew out of my mouth while making these balls, but boy did they fly into the mouths of my dinner guests! This dish is for a patient chef- allow 3-4 hours to make these. However, these are exceptional. Truly restaurant-quality. I eliminated the peas and didn't miss them (this probably makes it easier to shape the balls). Don't be concerned about the overwhelming flavor of the parmesan-risotto mixture, it's just right once the balls are battered and cooked. The oil I used to cook the balls didn't cover them, so I fried them for about 3-4 minutes on one side and then flipped. The less handling, the better. And they reheat beautifully in the oven to boot! - 09 Sep 2005 (Review from Allrecipes US | Canada)
Pretty good. I have eaten these with a meat center. I mixed ground beef with peas and mozzarella and put it in the center of the ball. You only need small amount. Eat these hot, with marinara sauce! This is a day long process, so block out some time to make these. Worth it though! - 01 Aug 2003 (Review from Allrecipes US | Canada)
Have made these a few times, the first time I struggled greatly getting the rice to form into neat round balls however I found if you place the risotto in the fridge for a couple of hours it makes it really simple to shape. The only other thing I would suggest is using bacon instead of ham, you don't need much put it provides a more distinct flavour and also gives them an extra crunch. All in all a great recipe. - 24 Feb 2009 (Review from Allrecipes US | Canada)
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