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How to make arancini

Arancini are an Italian street food star made with sticky balls of risotto filled with gooey mozzarella and lightly fried until crisp and golden. Traditionally served with a rich tomato sauce, they make a satisfying snack any time. Whether you're starting from scratch or using up leftover risotto, master this delicious dish in just six steps with our simple arancini recipe.

  1. Cook the risotto

    Heat 15g butter and 1 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan. Add 1 finely diced onion and 1 crushed garlic clove and gently cook for 5-10 minutes or until softened. Stir in 300g risotto rice. Turn up the heat to medium-high and pour in 150ml wine – it should sizzle and start to bubble instantly. Gradually add in 900ml stock a ladleful at a time, stirring continuously until the rice is tender, this should take about 15 minutes. Stir in 50g grated Parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese and season to taste. Spread the hot mixture over a large baking tray and set aside to cool completely.

  2. Make the marinara sauce

    Meanwhile, make the sauce by gently cooking 1 crushed garlic clove and a pinch of chilli flakes in 1 tbsp olive oil for 5 minutes. Add 500g passata and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Once cooked, add a generous pinch of finely chopped fresh oregano and plenty of salt and pepper. Keep warm.

  3. Create the arancini

    Once the risotto has cooled completely, divide the mixture into 18 and flatten each piece in damp hands. Cup the mixture and fill the centre with a 1cm chunk of mozzarella. Shape into a ball by bringing the sides up and sealing at the top. Shaping is much easier with clean, damp hands, so make sure to wash them every 3-4 you shape. Repeat with the remaining mixture.

  4. Coat the arancini

    Put 100g plain flour, 2 beaten eggs and 200g breadcrumbs into three separate bowls. Add a little salt and pepper to the plain flour. Coat the balls in the seasoned flour then in the egg and finally the breadcrumbs. Space them out on a large baking tray. Repeat until all the arancini are coated.

  5. Fry the arancini

    Line a large baking tray with kitchen paper. Heat 375ml vegetable oil in a wide, heavy based pan to 170°C – if you don’t have a thermometer, test the temperature by dropping in a small cube of bread, if the oil is hot enough, the bread should brown in around 30 seconds. Fry the arancini in batches for 4 minutes at a time, making sure they are not crowded in the pan. Once done, drain on the kitchen paper and sprinkle with a little salt while still hot.

  6. Serve

    Pile the arancini onto a plate and serve with the marinara sauce on the side for dipping.

    TescoOnline ArranciniFinal

  7. Ingredients

    We've made a handy shopping list so you can get everything you need to make these crisp Italian arancini. Don't forget to screenshot before you go shopping!

    For the arancini
    15g butter
    1 tbsp olive oil
    1 finely diced onion
    1 garlic clove, crushed
    300g risotto rice
    150ml wine
    900ml vegetable stock
    50g grated Parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese
    1 ball of mozzarella, chopped into 1cm chunks
    100g plain flour
    2 beaten eggs
    200g breadcrumbs
    375ml vegetable oil

    For the marinara sauce
    1 garlic clove crushed
    pinch of chilli flakes
    1 tbsp olive oil
    500g passata
    pinch of finely chopped fresh oregano

    Serves 6

    Each serving contains

    • Energy

      2650kj
      633kcal       32%

    • Fat

      34g 49%

    • Saturates

      10g 51%

    • Sugars

      7g 8%

    • Salt

      2.6g 0%

    of the reference intake
    Carbohydrate 64.1g Protein 17g Fibre 3.1g

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