Hello every body! Today I am sharing with you my arancini recipe! Arancini di riso or rice balls are simple to make and are filling. The great thing about it is that you can experiment with the fillings you prefer. For this one, I went with mozzarella and pork. Watch the video recipe below or keep reading for the written recipe.

Ingredients:

yields 12 arancini (rice balls)

• 1/2 lb. ground pork
• 4 oz. peas, thawed if frozen
• 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1/4 cup onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, diced
• 4 oz. fresh mozzarella, cubed
• 2 eggs, scrambled
• 2 cups arborio rice
• 4 cups chicken stock
• peanut or vegetable oil, enough for deep frying
• 1 cup of breadcrumbs
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup of white wine, optional
• bowl of water

Cook the rice in the chicken broth as per the package instructions. Once fully cooked, set aside and let cool down before starting the rice balls.

Add enough peanut oil or vegetable oil in a pot to cover the arancini half way. Heat over medium heat.

In a frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and stir until golden.

Add the pork and cook until slightly brown, making sure to stir occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Once the pork is brown, add the peas and stir all together. Add a splash of white wine and continue to cook, over low heat, until fully absorbed, for about 10 minutes.

Remove the pork filling from the pan and set aside to cool down.

To make the arancini, wet your hands in the bowl of water first, to keep the rice from sticking to your hands, then grab about a handful of rice and roll into a ball. Press down on the center to create a pocket. Fill in the pocket with a spoonful of the meat mixture. Add 2 to 3 pieces of cheese. Now grab enough rice to close the pocket and roll into a ball.

Coat the arancini with the scrambled eggs and then roll over the breadcrumbs until fully covered.

Place each arancini into the oil pot and fry until brown, making sure to continuously stir, so that each side is cooked evenly.

Remove from the pot and serve. Enjoy and cin cin!