I love risotto and make it at least once a week. In fact, I would go as far as to say that it’s one of my specialities. I serve it with the rice perfectly al dente, in the northern Italian all’onda style, which means with plenty of liquid. I hate leftover risotto. It’s almost impossible to reheat without it turning into a stodgy mess and if you try adding more stock it just overcooks the rice. However, if you do have leftover risotto, all is not lost as you can turn it into these amazing arancini di riso. Arancini means ‘little oranges’ and like the real oranges, they originated as street food in in Sicily. They consist of balls of cooked rice, which are then coated in breadcrumbs and deep fried. The deep-fried breadcrumbs turn almost orange, hence the name.
To make from scratch, arancini take a little while, but to make them from leftover risotto is super easy and super fast. When they are finished, they look a little bit like scotch eggs and they can be made from any flavour risotto that you like. If you are feeling adventurous, you could even wrap the risotto round something else, such as mozzarella balls, or even left over ragù, or meat sauce. I made these from a risotto ai funghi porcini,one of my favourites.
Well, now you know what to do with your leftovers.
Buon appetito!
Ingredients
- leftover risotto
- plain flour
- 1 egg, beaten
- breadcrumbs
- oil for frying
Instructions
- Pick up a small amount of leftover risotto and make it into a ball in with the palms of your hands. You should find that the starch from the rice holds it together without a problem.
- Roll the balls in the flour to coat them.
- Dip the balls in the beaten egg and make sure they are completely covered.
- Now roll the balls in the breadcrumbs making sure that the whole surface is covered lightly.
- Place the balls on a baking tray, or a plate, and place them in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. This will help them hold their shape.
- Using a deep-fat fryer, heat the oil to 170°C (340°F). If you don’t have a deep-fat fryer, you can try them a saucepan or wok, but be careful not to overheat the oil.
- Fry the arancini for three minutes until golden brown.
- Place them on a piece of kitchen towel to absorb the excess oil and then serve hot, or cold.
Thank you. They are pretty yummy and so easy.
I love to make arancini with my ‘leftover’ risotto (I always purposely make too much!), I find it very satisfying to make a real treat to eat. Sometimes I bake them? Look forward to your risotto video!
Ooh, how do they turn out baked? I also, as on this occasion, often throw an extra portion of rice in with the risotto so I know I can make arancini 🙂
They are great baked, sometimes they burst a little though…
That can happen in the fat as well which is a right mess. That’s why I chill them after assembly, before cooking. Sounds interesting. Must try it.
Mmmm. I love risotto…and arancine…and suppli. I even like (gasp) leftover risotto! I will have to try and chill them before frying next time, as sometimes they are a bit ‘crumbly’. Grazie for the tip!
I find chilling most things helps them to hold their shape in the oven, from pastry to croquettes. I make potato croquettes without egg but chill them for about thirty minutes before frying. The result is that the potato holds together and is really light and fluffy.
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