Leftover Risotto Arancini Recipe (Fried Risotto Balls)

We had some leftover risotto from the recipe I posted here so instead of just heating it up the next day we decided to make arancini.

I have had arancini a few times before at restaurants like Carluccio’s and as a mix of crunchy fried breadcrumbs and gooey risotto what is not to love!

The ingredients below are a bit wishy washy but it obviously depends on how much risotto you have left over, so you may need an extra egg or to add a bit more flour if you run out when rolling the balls. We made fairly large balls and I think I would make them ever so slightly smaller next time and roll them a bit rounder as they are not so perfect looking (LB or DH didnt seem to mind though and wolfed them down!).

I just shallow fried them in a frying pan but you could deep fry instead for a few mins too if you wanted.

This would make a delicious dinner party starter or light lunch.

Ingredients:

Bowl of leftover risotto (refrigerated)

Breadcrumbs (I whizzed up two stale bread rolls in my Kenwood Triblade chopper and had lots leftover)

Egg/s (I used 1)

Flour (I used about a cup full)

A sprinkling of dried mixed herbs (Optional but yummy)

Olive Oil (or any other oil of choice)

Method:

1. Take the bowl of leftover risotto out of the fridge and fill a bowl with your breadcrumbs, a bowl with you egg (whisked) and a bowl of flour.

2.  Add a sprinkling of dried mixed herbs to flavour your breadcrumbs if you wish.

3. Roll the risotto into balls as big as you want them (not too large though as you need the middle to warm through) using a spoon and the palm of your hand.

4. Dip the balls into the flour, the egg then the breadcrumbs to coat them.

5. Heat a frying pan large enough to fit all your risotto balls in over a medium heat. Add a good amount of olive oil, about 3/4 of a cm to 1cm in depth is about right.

6. When the oil is hot, add the risotto balls. Turn the balls fairly often until all sides are golden and the middles are warmed through (about 4-5 mins).

7. Remove from pan and serve. We had ours on a drizzle of balsamic glaze and some salad.

Variations:

• Add a little cube of mozzarella or other melty cheese to the middle of each ball (I intended to do this but completely forgot!)
•  Serve on a bed of tomato sauce or salad.
• Add other herbs / spices to your breadcrumbs such as chilli powder, basil or chives.