Gooey, cheesy rice enclosed in golden crunchy crumb. Need I say anymore? The Italians are genius, GENIUS!
Cheesy Italian Arancini Balls
I received one of those “no brainer” questions a few weeks ago. It went like this:
“Nagi, would you be interested in attending a small lunch to sample and learn about Riccadonna sparkling wines? Massimo Mele will be cooking up an Italian feast!”
It took me about 2 seconds to hit Reply and send “YES!” straight away.
Oh, then I went back to check the date and make sure I was actually free – but really, I would have made it fit into my diary. 😉 I mean, who in their right mind would turn down a champagne lunch with Chef Massimo Mele cooking?? Even if you haven’t heard of him, with a name like Massimo, you can’t mistake his heritage!
At this lunch, Massimo cooked up a 4 course Italian Feast which was, unsurprisingly, phenomenal. A modern, fresh take on classic Italian ingredients, all paired with a different Riccadonna sparkling wine. And guess what? I got the RECIPE CARDS!! You can download a copy of them here. 🙂
In addition to dining on an incredible 4 course Italian feast, I got to learn more about Riccadonna sparkling wines. We had a different sparkling wine for each course, all delicious!
The fact is, when it comes to champagne, I am a bit of a snob. I love real French champagne but as luck would have it, I can’t actually afford a $70 bottle to indulge in every week. 🙁 So for every day purposes, I am quite careful about which champagnes and sparkling wines I purchase because unlike wine, you don’t always get what you pay for. The quality of champagne and sparkling wines you get for $15 varies quite a lot – in my personal, humble opinion.
Riccadonna Prosecco for me is a guaranteed hit every time. What I find unique about it is that the bubbles are so delicate, it is almost like drinking a wine but with the extra little fizziness. Also it’s really light, quite dry and not sweet – it’s refreshing actually. More refreshing than most wines, less fizzy than cheap champagnes. All round – great value for money which is what I’m all about! 😉
So in the spirit of sharing something a little special today that pairs so beautifully with Riccadonna Prosecco, I’m doing something a little different.
I LOVE deep fried food. I have a theory that anything can be made to taste great when it’s deep fried. But I rarely do it myself at home because of clean up and… well, my hips. 😂
HOWEVER…these Cheesy Italian Arancini Balls are WORTH the effort! Besides the fact that they are eye-rollingly delicious, they are so good for make ahead. I’m thinking about a party I’m catering for my mother for Christmas and was keen to test these out.
Also, I didn’t actually use as much oil as I expected to. I used a saucepan, I just feel safer. And because of the small size of these balls, they are easy to handle as opposed to, for example, fried chicken which you would struggle to fry in a saucepan!
How to re-use oil
The oil can be reused twice because the Arancini Balls aren’t heavily seasoned with spices, as opposed to heavily seasoned food like Southern Fried Chicken which taints the oil with flavour.
To re-use the oil, cool in pot, line mesh colander with a single layer of paper towel, strain oil. Store until required – personally would stick to savoury rather than sweet.
Try Stay-Crispy Honey Chicken, Sweet and Sour Pork, Japanese Karaage, Mongolian Beef, Schnitzel or Southern Fried Chicken!
I was actually quite amazed at how well they reheated in the oven! They honestly tasted like they were cooked fresh, the shell was incredibly crisp, the round shape held up perfectly, and the inside was molten and delicious!
They can be served plain. I personally do not think a dipping sauce is required because they are loaded with cheesy flavour. However, I have also provided a quick marinara dipping sauce. Just don’t make the mistake I made, hmm…! Fishing out that Arancini Ball out was rather messy! 😉
Oh – do you need more convincing that these are worth making? Will this photo convince you? 😉
Before I sign off, one last thing. Most Arancini Ball recipe either require 30-40 minutes active stove time to make the risotto rice for these balls OR they are made with precooked ordinary rice which I personally feel does not have anywhere near the same creaminess.
So I use a compromise. I make BAKED risotto so you get the same creaminess, with far less effort. 🙂
Party season is coming up. Thanksgiving, Christmas…..
These are a MUST try! Honestly, I would not share these if I didn’t think they were worth the effort of (semi) deep frying. – Nagi x
PS Instructions for how to consume: sip of Riccadonna Prosecco, bite Arancini, sip Prosecco, bite Arancini….and continue repeating until the earlier of: no more Arancini balls left or bottle is emptied. 😉
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Cheesy Italian Arancini Rice Balls
Ingredients
Baked Risotto
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 small onion , finely diced (white, yellow, brown)
- 1 1/2 cups risotto rice (arborio)
- 1/2 cup white wine (or substitute with broth/stock or water)
- 3 1/2 cups chicken broth/stock
- 1 cup milk
Rice Mixture
- 1 egg
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 3/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese
- 2 1/2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley , or 1 1/2 tbsp dried parsley (Note 1)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Pepper
Coating
- 1/2 cup plain flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Black pepper
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- Cooking oil (I used vegetable oil)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
- Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and cook for 5 minutes until soft.
- Add rice and stir until grains turn translucent. Add wine and turn up the heat to medium high. Cook until liquid is mostly absorbed/evaporated.
- Add chicken broth and milk. Stir, bring to simmer, cover, then transfer to oven. Baked, covered, for 30 to 40 minutes until all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool. Add Rice Mixture Ingredients and mix to combine. Cover and transfer to refrigerator for at least 3 hours or preferably overnight.
Coating
- Mix flour, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl, eggs in another (lightly beaten) and panko in a third shallow bowl.
- Measure out a level (packed) ice cream scoop of rice mixture (about 2 1/2 tbsp) and roll into a ball. (Note 2)
- Roll in flour, then dredge in egg mixture, then coat in panko, pressing to coat. (Note 3) Repeat with remaining mixture.
Cook
- In a medium saucepan, pour in 1″/2.5cm depth of oil and heat over medium high heat.
- Toss in a breadcrumb and if it starts sizzling immediately, the oil is hot enough.
- Carefully transfer a few balls into the hot oil, using a spoon. Turn frequently so they cook golden evenly, and when they are a deep golden brown, remove onto a paper towel lined plate to drain.
- Repeat with remaining balls.
To Serve
- Serve with Marinara Sauce (optional) (Note 4) sprinkled with finely chopped fresh parsley if desired.
Recipe Notes:
No nutrition today. Because these are…you know. Fried. 😉
This post is sponsored by Riccadonna who hosted the lunch and asked if I would like to share what I thought about Riccadonna sparkling wine. As someone who has been sipping on Riccadonna for years, I was pretty darn thrilled to accept! N x
That lunch sounds amazing – I would have said yes on the spot too!! And I have always been too intimidated by arancini balls to give them a go (it is something about deep frying that just puts me off, so I love that you can use a saucepan here or even bake them!). Yours look absolutely epic though, will need to try them out!
Thanks hun! I am the same with deep frying but honestly, using a saucepan really does feel safer. 🙂 I was still too cautious to take photos while frying though!!! Hope you have a wonderful weekend! N x
This is also one of my very favorite dishes – go figure 😉 Aw man, the Champagne lunch must have been amazing – SO exciting! And Chef Massimo ain’t too bad to look at either 😉
I have been wanting to do an arancini rendition for ages – I just need to get off my butt and do it! I love your baked risotto – totally brilliant! I definitely need to give these a try!
BA HA HA! You are TOO FUNNY!!! yes, the all Italian blonde haired blue eyed look certainly added to the lunch 😉 Hey guess where I am right now? Kogi Taco Truck in LAX having a Korean breakfast taco! Instantly thought of YOU!! 🙂 N x
Ooo…. you’re making my stomach growl. Have an extra taco for me 😉
Hey Kathleen! I totally agree with you on the “eye candy”! 🙂
BA HA HA!! You girls crack me up!! How embarrassing if Massimo actually READS THIS!!!! 🙂
Nagi, I think these photos are quite possibly my favorites… Yours or anyone else’s! Absolutely stunning. Of course, they make we want to indulge in fried food, which I rarely do. 🙂
Awww, thank you Tamara!! I’m with you, I rarely indulge in fried food too. These are WORTH IT!! N x
When we got our induction stove top 2 years ago I was so excited, then realized my deep fry pan couldn’t work on it. 6 months later we opted to go back to gas and to break in the new stovetop I deep fried a Calamari Chile Rellenos with Jalapeño Hollandaise. We are so much happier with gas for the stove top. I need flame! That was the last time I fried something, but these will make me do it all over again.
Now these Cheesy Italian Arancini Rice Balls are killing me. I want one now. Look at all that cheesy, crunchy goodness! Holy cow! I’ve been tinkering with a stuffed arancini recipe myself for a bit, but still haven’t gotten it quite right yet. Anyways, could you please pass me that tray?
Hey Kevin! I have a six burner straight gas range that I couldn’t live without! 🙂
I can just imagine how incredible your stuffed arancini will be!!! Can’t wait to see it on your blog! 🙂 N x PS With Prosecco!!! 😉
Oh my heavens. I think I’ll have to host a very happy hour now.
YES!!!! 🙂 N xx
Hi Nagi! What a way to spend some time relaxing! The chef reminds me of Curtis Stone, another chef . Please tell me you will be nowhere near where that storm is going to hit in Mexico!! 🙂
Dorothy…..I’m scared!!! I am literally due to fly through that hurricane to get to Mexico City right when it hits land! Thank you for the heads up, I’m off to check travel warnings….. Just my luck!! 🙁 N x
Hi Nagi! Better safe than sorry – you can always go to Mexico another time! Keep me posted! 🙂 I have a good friend who is flying to Las Vegas tomorrow with a layover in Dallas who I called today, she’s checking too.
I think it’s ok! I’m at LAX now and I was just reading the news 🙂 I figure the pilots know what they are doing too. Hope you are well!! Give the pups a big cuddle from me. 🙂
Nagi!! I swear you a re a she-devil. My gosh — risotto with cheese in the center of it?????? I’ve been wanting to make these but I kept saying I had to lose 5 pounds first. Well, I just can’t take it any more — I have to have them ASAP. I hope you wore something nice and stretchy when you had lunch. If I’d have gone I probably would have worn a tent 🙁 I can’t wait to try these.
ME TOO!! That’s one reason I stay away from fried food, I keep telling myself I have to lose weight FIRST! So much for that! N x 😉
Oh wow – the Italians and YOU are genius indeed – fried risotto balls??? I have no words – am swooning so hard!!!
The Italians are genius, not me!! N x
So you had to know that as soon as this baby came across my email I’d be running over as fast as my little fingers could carry me! Thanks for making my run worth it! Only wish I could run straight to your house to share a platter and a glass of Prosecco with you! So elegant, so delicious, so right up my alley! Brava!
I knew you would approve!! Silly me, I forgot to pop over and check if you had an arancini recipe to cross check. I must go over and drop a link in if you have one. 🙂
I have seen these Arancini balls all over the place but for some reason have yet to try them.
Clearly, I need to reevaluate my priorities, because THAT CHEESE THOUGH. I need these!
Pinned!
Really? I didn’t realise the blogosphere was going through an Arancini craze! HA HA!! N x
I love the instructions………….”bite, sip repeat”
They are instructions I can follow!!! In fact I am following them right now except I have some garlic cheesy potato bites and prosecco (It was on special at the bottleo, it’s not Riccadonna, but I will be checking their range out!). Wish I had arancini!!!!
I love arancini and yours look perfect!!! You have inspired me, I have some risotto in the fridge from my Breast Cancer Awareness piece. I was going to heat it up for my dinner, but now I am thinking arancini balls!!!! Oooooh yes!!!! Thank you so much!!!!! I am excited!
I think I would have cleared my diary too!!! How amazing to get dinner cooked by Massimo Mele! I am a little jealous, but I have my recipe cards and I cannot wait to try that tuna (sweet and sour eggplant!!!! Yes please!!!) Oh and the fig recipe. Yum, we have a fig tree in the garden of our house, so once we are home I now have a new way to use them. I go fig crazy when the tree starts to fruit, but even then the roos get far more than I do!
Love these. And deep frying is the best 🙂 I follow Nigella Lawson’s principle that if you deep fry at the correct temperature then the oil seals the food and it absorbs less oil. I have no idea if she is correct but she is past 50 and looks amazing so I like to think if I eat deep fried food I can look like that too 😉 LOL
Pinning!!!!!
No way!! You have risotto already? BA HA HA!! I know, I do love deep fried food….and Nigella is definitely right! Having made my share of disaster fried food, if the food doesn’t sizzle the moment it goes into the oil, it means it is just sucking up oil!!! N x
I know, crazy in sync cooking!!!!
I made some on Friday night with my leftover beetroot risotto. They were great although the beetroot turned the cheese an odd colour!!!!
But the crumb and cheese mix from your recipe worked perfectly. YUM!!!
p.s I love your oops photo. And how elegant your mistakes are.
That is so the sort of thing that happens to me, except I would have overflowed the bowl!!!
My darn hands are too small, can’t even hold a tiny arancini ball!! Ba ha ha!! N x
I lost count of how many times you made me smile or chuckle in this post, Nagi. These arancini look incredibly delicious – the baked risotto is a stroke of genius! And that prosecco – a favorite indulgence. xo
Prosecco is really delicious, isn’t it? I knew you would know. 🙂 I also did suspect you would appreciate this recipe!!! Hope you are well! Still on your travels?? N x