Arancini di riso (Italian risotto balls)
The stuffed rice balls from the island of Sicily look like bitterballen at first glance. But the filling is very different.
The name arancini comes from arancia (orange), because the fried rice balls do look somewhat like oranges, only in a smaller size. Hence the diminutive arancini. This recipe is from hidden gem restaurant De Italiaan in Amsterdam.
How to make Arancini de riso
The risotto
1. Finely chop the onion. Add a splash of olive oil and half of the butter to a pan. Sauté the onion over low heat for 3–4 minutes. Add the risotto rice and saffron and fry for a few minutes, stirring continuously. Add the white wine. Once it has been fully absorbed, start adding the stock. Add a little more each time as soon as the liquid has almost been absorbed. This takes about 16 minutes.
2. Turn off the heat once the desired doneness has been reached. Add the cheeses and butter and stir until the mozzarella starts to stretch into strands. This ensures that the risotto sticks together. Place the completely cooled risotto in the refrigerator overnight.
The arancini
3. Use an ice cream scoop to make balls. Roll them in the flour, egg white and then breadcrumbs. Deep-fry until lightly golden brown at 180 ºC. Serve with a lemon wedge.
Also read:
