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Crispy arancini from leftover risotto

Crispy arancini from leftover risotto, a still from its video, with the channel name and the recipe title in text across it

By Tom · Updated

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  • Serves 4
  • About 20 min
  • Takes a bit of care

Turn it into crispy, golden arancini with a molten mozzarella centre. They're perfect as a starter, snack or a great way to transform leftover risotto into something even better. Proper crispy arancini (the best way to use leftover risotto).

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The recipe

Crispy arancini from leftover risotto

Turn it into crispy, golden arancini with a molten mozzarella centre.

  • Serves 4
  • 15 min prep
  • 4 min cooking
  • Takes a bit of care

Times and difficulty are our estimates from the method, not stopwatch figures.

Scale
4 servings
Measurements

Ingredients

Crispy arancini

Tick things off as you go — they stay ticked if you close the page.

A dotted underline means the amount has been rounded to something you can measure.

Method

  1. Step 1

    Place the cold risotto (500 g) into a bowl. Using damp hands, take a generous spoonful of the mixture and flatten it slightly in the palm of your hand.

  2. Step 2

    Place a cube of mozzarella in the centre, then wrap the risotto (500 g) around it, rolling it into a ball (1 ball) roughly the size of a golf ball. Repeat until all of the mixture has been used.

  3. Step 3

    Prepare three shallow bowls: one with the flour (100 g), one with the beaten eggs (2) and one with the breadcrumbs (150 g).

  4. Step 4

    Coat each risotto (500 g) ball (1 ball) in the flour (100 g), shaking off any excess, then dip into the beaten egg (2) before rolling in the breadcrumbs (150 g) until evenly coated.

  5. Step 5

    For an extra crisp coating, repeat the egg (2) and breadcrumb (150 g) stages a second time.

  6. Step 6

    Heat the oil in a deep saucepan or fryer to 170°C to 180°C.

  7. Step 7

    Carefully lower the arancini into the hot oil in batches and cook for 3-4 minutes, turning occasionally, until crisp, golden brown and heated through.

  8. Step 8

    Lift out using a slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack or kitchen paper.

  9. Step 9

    Serve immediately while the mozzarella is still deliciously melty.

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Questions people ask

How long does crispy arancini from leftover risotto take?

About 20 min from start to finish, of which 15 min is prep and 4 min is cooking. That figure is worked out from the method rather than timed with a stopwatch, so give yourself a little more the first time.

How many does it serve, and can I change that?

As written it serves 4. Use the scale control on the recipe card to change it: every quantity in the ingredients and inside the method steps updates with it. Seasoning, and anything measured in pinches or splashes, is deliberately left alone.

Can I see the ingredients in ounces and pints?

Yes. The metric and imperial switch on the recipe card converts every quantity, rounded to amounts you can actually weigh or measure rather than to four decimal places. Your choice is remembered for every recipe on the site.

Is it vegetarian?

Yes, as written. If you are cooking for a strict vegetarian, the one to check is the cheese: several hard cheeses are made with animal rennet.