Arancini (Risotto Balls)
A wonderful way to serve risotto. Risotto is cooked with ham and peas, then formed into balls stuffed with mozzarella, before being breaded and deep-fried.
Ingredients
Makes: 18 rice balls
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 225g uncooked Arborio rice
- 125ml dry white wine
- 600ml boiling chicken stock
- 75g frozen green peas
- 50g ham, finely chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- 40g Parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 115g mozzarella cheese, cut into 1.75cm cubes
- 60g plain flour
- 110g dry breadcrumbs
- 250ml vegetable oil for deep frying
Method
Prep:20min ›
Cook:35min ›
Ready in:55min
- 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 75ml 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 centre and roll to enclose. Coat lightly with flour, dip into the milk mixture, then roll in breadcrumbs to coat.
- Heat oil for frying in a deep fat fryer or large deep saucepan to 180 degrees C. Fry the balls in small batches until evenly golden, turning as needed. Drain on kitchen 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 180 C / Gas 4 oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
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Reviews & ratings
Average global rating:
(76)
Reviews in English (61)
very nice, a little fiddly, but worth the result, absolutely delicious. My young children loved them, although not the healthiest dish,they enjoyed the treat - 06 Oct 2012
Ive just made the risotto and it is so yummy! i used ready made veggie stock! also used shallots and a few cloves of garlic instead of what was recommended. i didnt use wine either. i dont think you actually need it as the stock is enough. looking forward to making the balls later once it all cools down! - 12 Nov 2011
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)