Arancini
Sicilian fried rice balls stuffed with mozzarella. Crispy outside, melted cheese inside - and worth every minute of the cooling wait!
PrepPrep Time
90 min
CookCook Time
30 min
DiffDifficulty
Medium
Equipment
- Pot with lid
- Large tray or baking sheet for cooling
- Three shallow bowls for breading
- Deep pot or fryer
- Thermometer
- Slotted spoon
- Paper towels
Ingredients
Substitutions
- Mozzarella Provolone, scamorza, or any good melting cheese
- Vegetable broth Chicken broth, if you don't need to keep it vegetarian
- Breadcrumbs Panko, for an extra crunchy shell
- Arborio rice Any short-grain rice - it needs the starch to hold together
Instructions
Cook the rice
Cook the rice in the broth until fully cooked and the liquid is completely absorbed. Season with salt to taste.
Enrich the rice
Turn off the heat, add the butter and Parmesan, and mix well. Stir in the egg while the rice is still warm - it binds everything so the arancini hold their shape.
Cool it completely
Spread the rice out and let it cool completely. This is important or your arancini will fall apart!
Flatten a portion
Take a handful of rice and flatten it in your palm.
Stuff and shape
Place a cube of mozzarella in the center, then close the rice around it and shape it into a ball.
Bread them
Coat each arancino first in flour, then beaten egg, and finally breadcrumbs.
Heat the oil
Heat the frying oil to around 170-175°C.
Fry until golden
Fry the arancini until crispy and beautifully golden on the outside.
Rest and serve
Let them rest on paper towels for a minute, then serve while they're still hot and the mozzarella inside is melty! 🔥
Chef's Notes
Cool the rice all the way down before you shape anything. Warm rice won’t hold, and an arancino that splits open in hot oil is a mess you only make once. And no, Raora never settled whether it’s arancino or arancina - you’re on your own there!
Watch the video for better instructions and all the fun!