Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you go
- Makes about 20 large arancini
- 700 g (3½ cups) cooked risotto rice
- 180 g (6 oz) low-moisture mozzarella block (150 g / 5 oz cut into cubes, the rest grated)
- 1 large egg (optional, but it makes things easier if you’re a beginner)
- 80 g (⅓ cup) homemade pesto (adjust to taste)
For frying the arancini
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- breadcrumbs
- neutral oil (sunflower)
Arancini are a Sicilian specialty, often sold as street food or served as an antipasto starter.
Make your risotto rice and let it cool. The easiest way is to make it the day before and keep it in the fridge. There should be no liquid left; the rice should be fairly thick and sticky.
Make the pesto by blending the basil, olive oil, garlic and Parmesan (which I often swap for almond flour, as in my zucchini pesto, it’s delicious). Meanwhile, cut the mozzarella into cubes and put them in a small bowl.
Stir the pesto, the grated mozzarella (and the egg, if using) into the rice. You can chill it for a bit if you like. Then, with slightly damp hands, take a little rice in the palm of your hand, tuck in a cube of mozzarella (if you want it really stretchy when you open it, use 2 cubes) and gently close the rice ball so the mozzarella is fully sealed in the middle. Keep half the balls in the fridge while you fry the first batch.
- Dip each ball in the beaten egg, then in the breadcrumbs. (Repeat the egg-and-breadcrumb step a second time for a nice, even coating.)
- In a deep fryer or a small saucepan, fry the arancini (3 at a time) in hot oil (180°C / 350°F) until they turn a lovely golden color (it’s quite quick). Drain for a few moments on paper towels.
Serve hot, with a little homemade tomato sauce on the side if you like, as with the mozzarella fritters.