How can you make a delicious risotto even more delicious? Make the leftovers into arancini. Arancini are delicious fried balls of risotto, often stuffed with cheese and served with tomato sauce. I made them tonight with a delicata squash risotto that I took to the Thanksgiving dinner that my husband I attended. I stuffed them with crumbled blue cheese and hazelnuts and served them alongside cedar-planked salmon and roasted broccoli.
Arancini
A fabulous way to use leftover risotto. Serve as a side or with a green salad for lunch or a light dinner.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 cups leftover risotto I used delicata and apple risotto, but this works well with mushroom risotto, risotto milanase, or any vegetable risotto.
- 1-2 oz cheese I used Maytag blue cheese combined with some toasted hazelnuts, since those were the toppings for the delicata squash risotto, but mozzarella or fontina work especially well.
- 1 egg beaten and seasoned with salt and pepper.
- 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs I like to use a combination of traditional homemade breadcrumbs and panko breadcrumbs.
- salt and pepper
- ~1/2 cup olive canola, or grapeseed oil for frying
Instructions
- Form leftover risotto into balls ~2 inches in diameter. When forming balls, place a small piece of cheese into the center of the ball.
- Refrigerate risotto balls for at least 30 minutes prior to cooking.
- When you are ready to cook the arancini, place breadcrumbs on a large plate and season with salt and pepper.
- Dip arancini into egg, and then roll in breadcrumbs to coat.
- Heat oil in a cast iron skillet or frying pan on medium heat until a breadcrumb dropped into the oil immediately floats to the surface.
- Fry arancini, turning to cook all sides until heated through and golden brown, ~3 minutes.
- Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.
