How long does it take to make Arancini?

Cool the risotto and refrigerate; fill each ball with baby mozzarella, roll in breadcrumbs, and deep-fry at 170–180°C (340–355°F) for about 5 minutes, until the ball turns golden.

2 hr 2 minTotal

56 minActive time

1 hr 6 minSetting

Step by Step

#	What to do	How long
1	Heat the stock in a small pot and keep it hot over low heat	5 min
2	Heat the olive oil in a wide pot over medium heat	3 min
3	Add the onion and fry 5–8 minutes, stirring now and then	6 min
4	Add the garlic and fry about 30 seconds to 1 minute, just	45 sec
5	Add the rice, without rinsing it, and toast 2 minutes, stirring	2 min
6	Add the hot the stock one ladle at a time, stirring constantly	18 min
7	Remove from the heat and add the Parmesan and stir vigorously	1 min
8	Season with salt and black pepper	1 min
9	Spread the flour on a flat plate	1 min
10	Beat the eggs in a wide bowl	1 min
11	Spread the crumbs on another flat plate and season with salt and black pepper	1 min
12	Transfer the risotto to a bowl and chill in the fridge 1 hour	1 hr
13	With wet hands, take tbsp of risotto, place a mozzarella cube in the center, close the rice around it and roll into a ball	1 min
14	Pass each ball through the coating stations in order	1 min
15	Heat the oil' in a deep pot' to 180°C (355°F) and fry the balls in batches for about 3 minutes	20 min

How to Tell It's Done

until the end
until the onion is soft and translucent and starts to turn golden at the edges
until fragrant
until the grains are glossy and coated in fat
until each ladle is absorbed before the next, about 18 minutes, until the rice is creamy and al dente: soft outside with a bite in the center
until the risotto is creamy and glossy

Tips

The stock stays hot in the small pot: cold stock stops the cooking with every ladle, and the rice cooks unevenly.
Add by cooking time: what needs long (onion, carrot, meat) goes in first, and what burns fast (garlic, dry spices) goes in last, only until fragrant.
Garlic burns quickly and turns bitter. Add it only after the onion has softened, over medium heat, and add the next ingredient as soon as it smells fragrant.
Don't rinse the rice: the starch on the grains is what gives risotto its creamy texture.
Ladle by ladle, stirring: the friction releases starch from the grains that thickens the liquid into a creamy sauce. Taste from minute 16: the grain should be tender with a firm center.
The flour dries the surface, the egg sticks to it and holds whatever comes next. Without the flour, the coating tends to peel off during frying.

Common Mistakes

Work with one "dry" hand for the dry coating and one "wet" hand for the egg, so your fingers don't get caked in layers of coating.
Keep the oil at 170–180°C (340–355°F): too cold, and the food soaks up oil; too hot, and it browns outside before the inside cooks. Without a thermometer, dip the tip of a wooden spoon in the oil: when medium bubbles form around it right away, the oil is hot enough.

More Ways

Shape the balls with wet hands, with a cube of mozzarella in the center; dip in flour, egg and breadcrumbs, and don't go above 180°C (355°F) when frying.
Balls the size of a ping-pong ball, filled with mozzarella; flour → egg → breadcrumbs, and deep-fry 5–6 balls at a time, until golden.

The full recipe: Arancini →