Leigh and I first tried Arancini at Amore Trattoria Italiana here in Grand Rapids, MI. We also had attended a cooking demonstration with Amore’s Chef Jenna on making Risotto. After the demonstration Jenna explained how they make their Arancini, but didn’t give the recipe out – We all have secrets! Once again I had the thought, ‘I can make these’ and set out researching how to put these together. I tested them out on the family, and they turned out fantastic. Everyone went back for more.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- 3-4 cups of vegetable broth
- 4 Tbsp. salted butter (divided)
- 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup onion (finely diced)
- 1-1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese (divided)
- 2 Tbsp. toasted pine nuts
- 3 Tbsp. parsley (finely chopped)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup fontina cheese (cubbed)
- 1-2 cups breadcrumbs (fine)
- vegetable oil for frying
Preparation
Making the Risotto:
- Sauté onions in extra virgin olive oil and butter for 3 minutes in a large skillet until they become translucent and tender.
- Add Arborio rice, stirring for about 2 minutes to toast the rice.
- Stir in 1 cup of vegetable broth, continue cooking and stirring until all of the liquid is absorbed.
- Gradually stir in the remaining broth 1 cup at a time, cooking and stirring until the liquid is absorbed before adding the next cup of broth. (20 minutes)
- Add 2 Tbsp. of butter and 3/4 cup of grated parmesan and stir to thoroughly incorporate into the rice and onions.
- Spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet and let cool completely.
Arancini (Risotto Balls):
- Beat eggs in a large bowl.
- Add in the parsley, remaining 3/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese, toasted pine nuts and thoroughly mix.
- Stir in the cooled risotto and thoroughly mix all ingredients.
- Cover and refrigerate rice mixture for at least 1 hour, or overnight. This allows the ingredients to set up and become firm.
- Put breadcrumbs into a small bowl.
- Scoop risotto mixture (I used a 1-1/2 Tbsp. scooper) and press a cavity into the risotto mixture.
- Place the fontina cheese cube into the cavity.
- Gently roll the mixture into ball around the chees cube.
- Roll the ball in breadcrumbs and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Note that this is very light breadcrumb coating.
- Heat vegetable oil (3/4 inch deep) or in a fryer if you have one to 350°
- Cook for 3-4 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels; season with salt.
Note: At Step 9, you can freeze the Arancini to be cooked at a later date. I froze mine on the cookie sheet first, then vacuum sealed them frozen so that they held the ball shape.
