Ingredients
- Makes up to 35 large or 70 small balls
- For the risotto:
- 120g butter
- 400g Arborio risotto rice
- 200ml white wine
- 1 litre vegetable stock (or chicken, if preferred)
- 1 onion (approximately 150g), finely diced
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme
- 50g dried cranberries, finely chopped
- 25g water chestnuts, finely chopped
- 80g Parmesan or white Cheddar cheese (or a mix is great)
- Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- Optional:
- Half tsp saffron
- For the coating:
- 150g plain flour
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 250g breadcrumbs
- Vegetable or sunflower oil, for frying
I was recently doing an Italian cookery demonstration and I introduced this lovely “Italian” recipe to my guests. One of them was very quick to correct me, saying rather forcefully that this recipe was not Italian. I was quite embarrassed. It turned out that she was from Palermo in Sicily and so is this recipe. Oops!
You can skip the rolling stage of this recipe and simply serve it as risotto, to serve eight as a starter or four as a main course.
To make the risotto, melt 40g butter in a large heavy-based pan over a medium heat.
Add the risotto rice and mix well to ensure that all the rice grains are coated with butter. Add the wine and stir until it has been absorbed by the rice. Add 100ml of stock and stir gently. Once the stock has been absorbed, add another 100ml, or ladleful.
Continue adding the stock like this until all of it has been absorbed and the rice is almost cooked. Add the saffron (if using). This will take 20-25 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add 60g of butter and stir well.
In a separate pan, add the remaining 20g butter and sauté the onion, thyme, cranberries, and chestnuts over a medium heat for five minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add this mixture into the risotto and stir well. Place the risotto back over a medium heat and continue cooking until the rice is fully cooked (about five minutes). Stir in the cheese and season with salt and pepper, as desired. Remove from heat and leave to cool completely. Overnight is ideal.
To make small risotto balls, gather an amount of cold risotto roughly the size of a table-tennis ball and work it into a ball using the palms of your hands. Dip it in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs. Place on a tray or plate and transfer to the fridge to firm up for at least 30 minutes.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. (Alternatively you can use a deep fat fryer, heated to 180°C).
Deep-fry the balls, in batches, for five to six minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil. Serve the arancini immediately.
CHEF'S TIP: If you absolutely must cook them significantly in advance of serving, place the arancini in a 140°C fan/160°C/gas 3 oven for 15-20 minutes before serving.
