Arancini from leftover risotto, with a melting middle

Arancini are what happens when someone refuses to throw away leftover risotto. Cold rice is pressed around a little filling, rolled in flour, egg and breadcrumbs, and fried until the outside is a deep, crackling gold. Break one open and the middle should still be soft, the rice creamy, and the cheese stretching out in a long string. The name means "little oranges", which is exactly what the round Palermo-style ones look like on a plate.

In Sicily they are street food, made in many shapes and sizes. Palermo is known for round ones, often filled with ragù and peas; in Catania they are frequently shaped into a cone, said to echo Mount Etna. At home they are the best use I know for the second half of a pot of risotto. This is how I make them, with a quick saffron risotto for days when there are no leftovers, and an oven method for days when frying feels like too much.

Why cold, leftover risotto works best

Arancini need rice that holds together when you squeeze it, and cold risotto does that perfectly. As cooked rice cools, its starch firms up, so a sticky, spoonable risotto turns into something you can shape with your hands. Freshly made, warm risotto is too loose; it slumps and splits.

So the rule is simple. Make the risotto at least a few hours ahead, ideally the day before, spread it in a shallow dish and refrigerate it uncovered until cold and firm, then cover it. If you are using genuine leftovers, they are already ready.

The kind of risotto matters a little. A plain saffron and parmesan risotto is the classic base, gold and fragrant. Mushroom, pea or lemon risotto all make lovely arancini too. Avoid risotto with large pieces of seafood or vegetables, which make the balls hard to close.

If your risotto feels too soft even when cold, stir in a beaten egg and a handful of grated parmesan. The egg binds as it cooks and the cheese adds body.

The fillings

The filling is a small surprise in the middle, not a large pocket. Too much filling and the rice wall is thin and splits in the oil.

• Mozzarella: a cube of low-moisture mozzarella about 3/4 inch (2 cm) across. Fresh mozzarella is too wet and makes the rice soggy from the inside. This is the version my family calls supplì-style, though in Rome supplì are a separate, oval dish.
• Ragù and peas: a spoonful of thick, cold meat sauce with a few peas, often with a cube of cheese too. Leftover meatball sauce, from the Sunday meatballs, works if you crumble a meatball into it and let it cool until it is thick.
• Ham and cheese: diced ham with mozzarella or provola, a Sicilian bar favorite.
• Mushroom: sautéed chopped mushrooms cooked until dry, with a little cheese.

Whatever you choose, it must be cold and fairly dry.

Shaping, round or cone

Keep a bowl of water beside you and wet your hands. Take a portion of cold risotto, about the size of a tangerine (I use 90 g for a good-sized arancino), and flatten it into a disc in your palm. Make a dent in the middle, put the filling in, then fold the rice up and around it, adding a little more rice to patch any gaps. Roll it gently between your palms into a smooth ball, pressing just enough to close any cracks.

For a cone, shape the ball first, then hold it in one hand and gently squeeze the top into a point with the other, rolling it against the counter to settle a flat base.

The numbers for planning: 4 cups of cold risotto weighs about 900 g. At 90 g per ball that is 10 arancini, which feeds four to five people as a main with a salad, or ten as a starter. Smaller balls of about 40 g make great party food; you will get around 22, and they fry faster.

Chill the shaped balls for 20 to 30 minutes before coating. It firms them up and makes the breading step much cleaner.

The coating

A three-step coating gives a thick, crisp shell that keeps the inside creamy.

1. Flour, lightly seasoned.
2. Beaten egg (some cooks use a batter of flour and water instead, which is common in Sicily and works well).
3. Fine dry breadcrumbs.

Roll each ball in the flour and tap off the extra, dip it in the egg and let the excess drip away, then roll it in the breadcrumbs, pressing so they stick. For an extra-sturdy shell, especially for large arancini, go through the egg and crumbs twice. Set the breaded balls on a tray and chill again for 15 minutes if you have time.

Frying

Use a heavy, deep pot and enough neutral oil to cover the arancini by at least an inch, or about 3 inches (7.5 cm) deep for full-sized ones. Heat it to 350°F (175°C) and use a thermometer to hold it there.

Fry two or three at a time. Crowding drops the oil temperature, and cool oil makes greasy, pale arancini that are more likely to split. Turn them gently with a slotted spoon so they color evenly. Large ones take about 5 to 6 minutes, small ones 3 to 4. You are looking for a deep golden brown, and for the cheese to be melted through.

Drain them on a wire rack over a sheet pan and give them a few minutes to settle before you break one open. The inside is very hot.

If you are unsure about large ones, pull the first out, cut it in half and check that the cheese has melted. If it has not, lower the oil temperature slightly so the outside does not burn before the middle heats, or finish them in a 375°F (190°C) oven for 5 to 8 minutes.

Baked arancini

Baked arancini are less crisp and more toasted than fried, but they are very good and much less work.

Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Toast the breadcrumbs first in a skillet with a little olive oil until golden, because oven-baked crumbs do not brown the way fried ones do. Coat the arancini in flour, egg and the toasted crumbs, set them on a parchment-lined sheet pan, spray or drizzle them with olive oil, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, turning once, until golden and hot through. They are a little more fragile, so handle them gently.

A quick risotto for the purpose

If you have no leftovers, make a simple saffron risotto the day before. You will need about 1 1/2 cups of rice to get 4 cups of cooked risotto. Arborio or carnaroli both work.

The recipe

Saffron arancini with mozzarella

Makes

About 10 arancini, serves 4 to 5

Prep

1 hr

Cook

50 min

Total

1 hr 50 min

Measures

US cups and poundsMetric

Ingredients

Saffron risotto (or use 4 cups cold leftover risotto)

• 5 cups1.2 liters chicken or vegetable stock, kept hot
• 1 pinch1 pinch (about 0.2 g) saffron threads
• 2 tbsp30 g butter
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups300 g arborio or carnaroli rice
• 1/2 cup120 ml dry white wine
• 3/4 cup65 g finely grated parmesan
• to taste salt

Filling and coating

• 1 large egg, beaten, mixed into the cold risotto (optional, for soft risotto)
• 4 oz115 g low-moisture mozzarella, cut into 10 cubes
• 1/2 cup65 g all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups165 g fine dry breadcrumbs
• about 8 cupsabout 2 liters neutral oil, for frying

To serve

• 1 cup240 ml warm tomato sauce, for dipping

Method

1. The day before: crumble the saffron into the hot stock. Melt the butter in a wide pan and soften the onion over medium heat for 5 minutes.
2. Add the rice and stir for 2 minutes until the grains look glossy. Pour in the wine and stir until it is absorbed.
3. Add the saffron stock a ladle at a time, stirring often and waiting until each addition is mostly absorbed, for 18 to 20 minutes, until the rice is tender but still has a little bite.
4. Stir in the parmesan, season with salt, then spread the risotto in a shallow dish. Cool, then refrigerate uncovered until cold and firm, at least 4 hours or overnight.
5. If the cold risotto feels soft, mix in the beaten egg. Divide it into 10 portions of about 90 g.
6. With wet hands, flatten a portion, put a cube of mozzarella in the middle, close the rice around it and roll into a smooth ball. Chill the balls for 20 minutes.
7. Roll each ball in flour, then beaten egg, then breadcrumbs, pressing so the crumbs stick. Chill for 15 minutes more if you can.
8. Heat 3 inches (7.5 cm) of oil in a heavy pot to 350°F (175°C). Fry 2 or 3 at a time for 5 to 6 minutes, turning, until deep golden brown.
9. Drain on a wire rack for a few minutes. Serve hot with the tomato sauce for dipping.

Cook's notes

• To bake: toast the breadcrumbs in olive oil first, coat as above, drizzle with oil and bake at 425°F (220°C) for 20 to 25 minutes, turning once.
• Shaped, breaded arancini freeze well on a tray; fry from frozen at 325°F (165°C) for 8 to 10 minutes so the middle heats through.

Making ahead, freezing and reheating

Arancini are a good make-ahead food. Shape and bread them up to a day ahead and keep them covered in the fridge. Breaded arancini also freeze beautifully: freeze them on a tray until hard, then bag them. Fry from frozen at a slightly lower temperature, 325°F (165°C), for 8 to 10 minutes, so the middle thaws and heats before the outside gets too dark. Or bake them from frozen at 400°F (205°C) for about 30 minutes.

Leftover fried arancini keep in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. Reheat them in a 375°F (190°C) oven or an air fryer for 10 to 12 minutes, until hot all the way to the center. The microwave makes the coating soft.

Why arancini split, and how to stop it

• The risotto was too warm or too wet. Chill it longer, or add egg and parmesan.
• The filling was too big or too wet. Use less, and use low-moisture cheese and thick, cold ragù.
• The coating had gaps. Go over thin spots with a second dip in egg and crumbs.
• The oil was too cool and the arancini sat in it too long. Keep it at 350°F (175°C) and fry fewer at once.

Serving

Arancini need very little: a bowl of warm tomato sauce for dipping and a sharp green salad with lemon. Small ones are perfect for a party with drinks. A plate of two large ones is a meal. If you like this kind of thing, the fritters kitchen is full of more round, crisp things, and the falafel recipe uses the same frying temperature and the same wire-rack habit.

Questions people ask

Can I make arancini with plain cooked rice?

Plain long-grain rice is not sticky enough. Short-grain risotto rice cooked as risotto, with its starch and cheese, is what holds arancini together. Sushi rice works in a pinch, mixed with egg and parmesan.

Why is my cheese not melted in the middle?

The arancini were large or straight from the fridge and the oil was a little hot. Fry them slightly cooler, or finish them in the oven for a few minutes.

Can I air fry arancini?

Yes. Spray the breaded balls with oil and air fry at 375°F (190°C) for 10 to 14 minutes, turning once. They brown less evenly than fried ones but are crisp and hot.