Italian · Free recipe
Arancini
Golden fried rice balls with a crisp crumb coating hiding a molten mozzarella center. These Sicilian street-food classics are a showstopping antipasto worth the effort.
Step 1
Pour the broth into a medium saucepan and bring it to a gentle simmer over medium heat. If using saffron, stir it in now so it colors and flavors the liquid.
Step 2
Add the Arborio rice and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the broth. Stir, lower the heat to low, cover, and cook for about 18 minutes until the rice is tender and all the liquid is absorbed. Stir once or twice so it does not stick.
Step 3
Turn off the heat and stir in the butter and Parmesan until melted and creamy. Crack in 1 egg and stir quickly so the heat does not scramble it; the egg binds the rice.
Step 4
Spread the rice on a baking sheet in an even layer and let it cool completely, about 30 minutes. Warm rice will not hold its shape, so do not rush this step. You can refrigerate it to speed things up.
Step 5
Set up a breading station in three shallow bowls: flour with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper in one, the 2 remaining eggs beaten in the second, and breadcrumbs in the third.
Step 6
Wet your hands with water to stop sticking. Scoop about 3 tablespoons of cooled rice into your palm and flatten it slightly.
Step 7
Press a cube of mozzarella into the center, then cup your hand to wrap the rice fully around it, rolling into a tight ball a bit smaller than a tennis ball. Make sure no cheese peeks out or it will leak while frying.
Step 8
Roll each ball first in flour, then in beaten egg letting the excess drip off, then in breadcrumbs, pressing gently so the crumbs stick all over. Set finished balls on a plate.
Step 9
Pour the oil into a deep heavy pot so it is about 3 inches deep and heat over medium to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a thermometer; if you do not have one, a breadcrumb dropped in should sizzle steadily.
Step 10
Carefully lower 3 or 4 balls into the oil with a slotted spoon, never crowding the pot. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, turning gently, until deep golden brown all over.
Step 11
Lift them out with the slotted spoon and set on a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Let the oil return to 350 degrees between batches.
Step 12
Rest the arancini for 3 minutes before serving so the molten cheese does not burn your mouth. Serve warm.
Tips from the test kitchen
- Chilling the rice mixture for an hour makes the balls far easier to shape.
- Keep frying oil steady at 350 degrees; too cool makes them greasy, too hot browns them before the center heats.
