Gooey, cheesy rice enclosed in golden crunchy crumb. Need I say anymore? The Italians are genius, GENIUS!
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
Justyn Haley says
ahhh what can i say about this delicious recipe. i am totally speechless in front of this super delicious recipe . i must say these instructions was very helpful. every body at my home loved it and all were appreciated me just because of your recipe that you shared with us. i was so glad and told about your references. big special thanks
Lauren says
I largely followed this recipe, although added pureed roasted beetroot to make vibrant purple arancini (for my purple-obsessed friend’s birthday party). Served with creme fraiche, dill, and lemon sauce for dipping.
REHEATING HACK: if you don’t mind losing the shape, leftover arancini reheat quickly and crisply in a sandwich press!
kristine says
I made these the other day and
they where fantastic my guests
where very impressed. Will
be making some more soon
Nagi says
I’m so happy they were a hit Kristine!
kristine says
I made these the other day and
they where fantastic my guests
where very impressed
Tiffany says
I made this recipe for my mum for mothers day (shes liked arancini at an Italian restaurant before) and they were amazing! We all loved them.
Nagi says
Wahoo, I’m so glad they were a hit!
jackie says
First time i have made these ever. So easy and yum yum yum. will make double the next time thats for sure. Thanks again Nagi another winner.
Nagi says
Awesome Jackie!
Carole Dillon says
Made it loved it!!! I added fried mushrooms!!! Delicious!
Nagi says
Mushrooms! What a great idea!!! I’ll have to give it a go!
Bronwyn Tarca says
Made them for Christmas they were an absolute hit everyone raved over them
Nagi says
Wahoo!
Dianne says
I made the risotto portion of this recipe tonight in advance of Christmas Eve. I baked it because I thought that was an interesting twist and I didn’t have time to babysit the risotto while prepping another dish. Can I just say OMG?!! If I didn’t need the risotto for the arancini I would have eaten the entire pot by myself. I’ll defknifely be making this version of risotto again to make with shrimp scampi- my favorite way to eat risotto. I’ll be back tomorrow after I make and serve the rice balls as they’re intended to be. 🙂
Yiota Rigas says
Can i freeze them for 3-4 hours instead of refregerating them overnight?
Thanks
Nagi says
Hi Yiota! If only freezing for a few hours I think it’s just best to refrigerate! 🙂 N x
Valeria says
Hi i was wondering if i don’t add the cheese would i still need to add the egg?
Valeria says
Hi, I was wondering if I can do this recipe with out cheese? Would I still have to add the egg?
Julie says
Haven’t started cooking them yet, but after assembling these, I REALLY disagree about using shredded cheese vs cubes. By the time I was able to put it in there, they ended up more like softballs rather than golf balls.
Lizzie says
I made them and they are delicious!
Kelly says
Anyone done the risotto with the thermomix?
Carol says
I’m making them now. I’m just baking the risotto atm. 😁
Nagi says
Hope you loved it Carol! 🙂 N x
Christina Richards says
Always wanted to make these but thought they were too hard. This was really easy and the family loved them! Thank you for making complex recipes easy!
Nagi says
Glad to hear you enjoyed this Christina!! Thanks for letting me know 🙂 N x ❤️
Healthy Kitchen 101 says
Are they still crunchy after being frozen in the frigde?
– Natalie Ellis
Nagi says
Yes once you bake them!!
Nagi says
Yes once you bake them again!!
Aidan says
How well do they freeze?
Nagi says
PS Just updated recipes notes
Nagi says
Hi Aidan! These freeze great – raw or cooked 🙂 Just ensure they are cool then freeze in an airtight container. Defrost before cooking!
Alexandria says
I made these on Friday and they were very good. These will become a regular. Ran out of time before sunset and did not make the sauce but they didn’t need it. Will be making these again and trying the baking method or air frying. Thanks for the recipe.
Alexandria says
I did substitute Better than Bouillon vegetable broth for the chicken broth and water for the wine to make it vegetarian.