Wild Mushroom Arancini

Yesterday’s leftover risotto is today’s arancini! Arancini, which means “little orange” in Italian, is a rice ball stuffed with cheese or meat that’s coated in breadcrumbs and then fried. I used some leftover chanterelle and morel mushroom risotto for this recipe, but feel free to use your favorite risotto recipe.

wild mushroom arancini recipe on fmitk.com

You’ll need Italian-style bread crumbs, fresh mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, risotto and eggs.

Cut the fresh mozzarella into ~1/2″ cubes.

Combine the risotto with 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and eggs.

Form about 2 tablespoons of the risotto mixture into a ball. Press a cube of cheese into the center and form rice around the cheese to make a ball.

Easy peasy, right?

Roll the rice balls in the remaining bread crumbs.

Fry in oil until browned on all sides and heated through, turning as needed, about 4-5 minutes.

Drain on a paper towel and season with a sprinkle of sea salt. Let rest for 2 minutes.

Serve them hot!

I mean, c’mon.

adapted from giada
makes ~20 arancini in 30 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups wild mushroom risotto, cooled
2 large eggs, beaten to blend
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 1/2 cups dried Italian-style bread crumbs
2 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
vegetable oil
sea salt

Directions

In a large, heavy saucepan, add about 2″ of oil. Heat the oil over medium heat until it’s bout 350F.

In a medium bowl, combine the cooled risotto, eggs, Parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs. In another bowl, place the remaining 1 cup of breadcrumbs.

Using about 2 tablespoons of the risotto mixture, form into a ball. Insert a cube of mozzarella into the center of each ball and form the risotto mixture around the cheese. Roll each ball into the bread crumbs to coat.

Fry the rice balls in batches until browned on all sides and heated through, turning as necessary; about 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the arancini onto paper towels to drain. Season with salt and let rest 2 minutes. Serve hot.

Notes

Feel free to use whatever leftover risotto you may have on hand for this – or your favorite risotto recipe!