risotto balls (arancini)

i don't know what rock i was living under, but i recently had the pleasure of eating a deep fried risotto ball (arancini). the first time i put that sucker in my mouth, i was floooooored. to deep fry balls of creamy risotto and stick a piece of cheese in the middle...is simply genius. i want to shake the hand of the person who invented this bad boy.

since i've popped my arancini cherry, i tried it two more times and all three times were made slightly different. little dom's serves them large and in charge with no sauce. tasca winebar serves them medium sized with a truffled cream sauce. and fraiche serves them mini bite sized with marinara sauce. i came to the conclusion that i like the medium size and served with some sort of sauce.

they are usually made with plain risotto and with seasoned breadcrumbs...but i tried them with a mushroom risotto and panko bread crumbs for that extra CRUNCH. you can make your own rules here. let me know what other mouthwatering flavor combos you come up with.

risotto balls (arancini)
4 servings
3 cups cooked mushroom risotto, cooled
12 mozzarella cubes, 1/2 inch
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup panko bread crumbs
vegetable oil for frying

to serve
1/2 cup of marinara sauce
1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley
2 tablespoon of parmesan (optional)

wet your hands with water. scoop a heaping tablespoon of the risotto and roll into a ball. gently toss back and forth between your hands. poke a small hole in center of each ball with your finger. insert a cube of the mozzarella, add 1/2 tablespoon more risotto to close up the hole and form back into a ball.

place the flour, eggs and panko crumbs in 3 separate bowls. first, dredge a risotto ball in flour, shaking off excess. second, dip in egg, letting excess drip off. lastly, dredge in bread crumbs.

when you are ready to fry, fill large pot with about 1.5 inches of vegetable oil on medium high heat. in small batches, carefully place the risotto balls into the oil. when one side is golden brown, turn the ball so all sides are evenly browned, about 4 mins total. using a slotted spoon, let the excess oil drain and place on a wire rack, with paper towel underneath it.

top with parsley and serve with a side of marinara sauce. i sprinkled some parmesan cheese on mine cus i love CHEEEESE!

bon appétit~!