Leftover Risotto Arancini
Deep-fried rice balls with a mozzarella center. This is the dish where leftover risotto works better than fresh.
- Preparation
- 30 min
- Cook/bake time
- 20 min
- Total
- 12 hr 50 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 612 kcal
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cooking & baking
- 20 min
- Resting
- 12 hr
Only 50 min of that is hands-on – the rest takes care of itself.
Deep-fried rice balls with a mozzarella center are the dish where leftover risotto works better than fresh. Cold risotto is firm enough to be shaped, whereas warm risotto melts between your hands. In Sicily, this is not a makeshift solution, but the actual purpose: you cook risotto to have arancini the next day.
Why this works
Fresh risotto cannot be shaped, but cold risotto can, and the reason is called retrogradation. As it cools, the dissolved starch molecules rearrange and form a network that makes the mixture firm and sliceable. This exact network later holds the ball together when it hits the hot fat. Therefore, risotto chilled overnight is not the second choice here, but the prerequisite. The breading has a second, equally important task: it forms a firm shell in seconds, preventing fat from entering and the melted mozzarella from escaping. If the breading tears, perhaps in a spot where cheese was pushed through, the center will leak into the fat in seconds. This is why the mozzarella must be completely enclosed by rice and the breading layer must be flawless.
Step-by-step instructions
- 1
Chill the risotto overnight
Spread the leftover risotto flat in a dish and place it in the refrigerator overnight. It must be truly cold and firm, because as it cools, the starch recrystallizes and forms the network that later holds the balls together. Warm risotto melts between your hands.
- 2
Bind the mixture
Mix the cold risotto with an egg and the grated Parmesan. The egg provides additional binding in case the risotto was very moist. If the mixture still seems soft, a tablespoon of breadcrumbs will help.
- 3
Shape with a center
Take a heaping tablespoon amount in your moist hand, press an indentation into it, insert a mozzarella cube, and close the rice completely around it. Completely means flawless: wherever cheese pushes through the rice, the breading will later tear and the center will leak into the fat.
- 4
Triple breading
Coat the balls first in flour, then in beaten egg, and finally in breadcrumbs. The order is not random: the flour dries the moist surface so the egg adheres, and the egg is the glue for the breadcrumbs. Without flour, the entire breading will slide off in the fat.
- 5
Deep-fry at 175 °C
Deep-fry the arancini in batches for four to five minutes until golden brown. At 175 degrees, a firm crust forms immediately, keeping the fat out; at a lower temperature, they will soak it up. Let them drain on paper towels and wait a few minutes, as the center is hot enough straight out of the fat to burn you.
Our best tips
- The risotto must be from the day before. There is no shortcut here, since warm or only briefly chilled risotto cannot be shaped, no matter how much egg you add.
- Use moist hands when shaping. Rice sticks to dry fingers and the ball will never be smooth, which in turn means gaps in the breading.
- Arancini can be frozen breaded and deep-fried from frozen, just add two minutes to the cooking time. This turns leftover risotto into a stash instead of a chore.
Tasty variations
Arancini al ragù
Instead of mozzarella, use a teaspoon of thick Bolognese with peas for the center. This is the classic Sicilian filling, but the sauce must be very thick, otherwise it will soften the rice.
In the air fryer
Cook at 200 °C for about 15 minutes, brushing them all over with oil beforehand. They will get crispy, but not as evenly golden brown as when deep-fried.
Nutrition facts
| Calories | 612 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 24 g |
| Carbohydrates | 78 g |
| – of which sugar | 3 g |
| Fat | 21 g |
| Fiber | 3 g |
Estimated, not calculated – why
Here some of the ingredients never reach the plate: most frying oil stays in the pan, and in a stock the solids are strained off. How much of it ends up in the food cannot be calculated – counting a litre of oil would quintuple the figure, leaving it out would describe a dish baked without fat. So this is an editorial estimate rather than a total that would look dependable without being so.
A guide value, not a lab measurement: no two onions weigh the same, and fat content varies from pack to pack.
Frequently asked questions
How many calories are in arancini?
Around 610 kcal per serving, as an estimate, not a calculation. How much frying fat is absorbed depends on the oil temperature and cannot be reliably quantified. At 175 degrees, it is significantly less than at 150.
Does the risotto really have to be from the day before?
Yes. As it cools, the starch recrystallizes and makes the mixture moldable. This is a physical process that takes hours. Fresh risotto melts in your hand.
Why does the cheese leak out?
The mozzarella was not completely enclosed by rice or the breading had a gap. As it melts, the cheese expands and finds every weak spot.
Can I prepare them in advance?
Very easily. Once breaded, they keep for a day in the refrigerator and can be frozen for three months. Drop them directly into the fat from frozen, then deep-fry for two minutes longer.
Comments & ratings(0)
Sign in to rate and comment on this recipe.
You might also like
Basic RecipesMake your own pesto, from whatever you have
Greens, fat, nuts, salt: pesto does not need basil, it just needs four roles filled.
SaladsPanzanella
The salad that makes stale bread the main ingredient, and gives tomato juice a purpose.
Basic RecipesCarrot Top Pesto
The greens that get cut off at the store are edible, and they make a more robust pesto than basil.