Recipes || Vegetarian Arancini

Posted on January 13, 2021

Arancini are one of my favourite things to eat on the planet. Fried carbs? Sign me up. My first bite of one, and it was love at first taste. They are one of the foods that I crave without fail, so I figured that I may as well learn to make them at home.

Ingredients:

3-4 cups Left over risotto from the day before. I used my favourite risotto recipe from the previous night’s dinner.
4 large eggs
2 cups of flour
3/4 teaspoon of kosher salt
2 cups of fine dried breadcrumbs
150 g of mozerella, cubed
vegetable oil, for frying

To top:
Spinach for serving
Torn basil
A homemade spicy arabiata sauce for the top. You can read my recipe here.

Directions:

Separate your eggs. Whisk the whites in a small bowl until frothy. Place 2 of the egg yolks into a mixing bowl with the leftover risotto and stir until completely incorporated. Save the remaining 2 yolks for another use or discard.

Put your flour and salt in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Put the dried breadcrumbs into another bowl.

Divide the risotto into 2-tablespoon portions and form into 1 1/2-inch balls. Put a cube of mozzarella into the center of the risotto ball, making sure to completely surround the cheese with rice. Set the ball aside.

Working with one at a time, roll a risotto ball in the flour until coated. Then coat in the egg whites. Toss the ball in the breadcrumbs, until coated in a thin layer. Cup your hand and lightly toss the breaded risotto ball until it forms a smooth, round ball. Repeat for all your risotto balls.

Pour your oil into a skillet and heat until it sizzles.

Add around 8 of the risotto balls to the hot oil (do not overcrowd the pan). Fry until deeply golden-brown on the bottom side, 2 to 3 minutes. Then flip the balls and cook until golden-brown all over, 2 to 3 minutes more.

Serve over a bed of spinach, topped with basil and arabiata.