What are arancini, and can you make them from leftover risotto?

Arancini are what happens when Sicilian thrift meets Sicilian generosity: rice, shaped around something good, fried until golden and handed over in a paper napkin. They are street food, bar food and party food. And they are one of the best possible destinies for yesterday's risotto.

What they are

Wikipedia's arancini entry describes them as stuffed rice balls coated in breadcrumbs and deep-fried. The name is a Sicilian diminutive of the word for orange, a nod to their shape and their golden colour once cooked.

Common fillings, according to the same entry:

• Al ragù, with a slow-cooked meat and tomato sauce, cheese and often peas.
• Al burro, with ham and mozzarella, or béchamel.
• Specialist bars also sell versions with mushrooms, pistachio or aubergine.

In our vegetarian kitchen, we lean towards mozzarella and peas, aubergine and tomato, spinach and ricotta, or mushroom with a little Parmesan.

Arancino or arancina?

This is a real argument in Sicily, and not one we would dare settle. The Accademia della Crusca, Italy's language authority, concludes that both forms exist. Broadly, the feminine arancina (usually round) is used in the west of the island, around Palermo, and the masculine arancino (round or pointed, a shape sometimes said to echo Etna) in the east, with exceptions. The Crusca also notes that the dish does not appear in written sources before the second half of the 19th century, so the popular stories of much older origins are uncertain.

Our policy: when in Palermo, say arancina. When in Catania, say arancino. When at home, say "pass me another".

From leftover risotto

Cold risotto is ideal. It is already seasoned, and the starch has set firm overnight, so it holds its shape. If the risotto was very loose, it may be too soft; stir in a spoonful of grated Parmesan or a little beaten egg to help it hold.

How we approach it:

• Chill the risotto thoroughly in the fridge first. Warm risotto will not shape.
• Wet your hands so the rice does not stick to them.
• Take a portion of rice, flatten it in your palm, put a cube of mozzarella or a spoonful of filling in the middle, and close the rice around it. Squeeze gently into a ball or a cone.
• Coat. Roll each one in flour, then beaten egg (or a thin flour and water batter), then fine breadcrumbs.
• Rest them in the fridge briefly so the coating sets.
• Fry in hot oil until deep golden all over and hot in the middle, so the cheese melts. Drain on a rack.

Use a deep, heavy pan, fill it no more than about a third with oil, and never leave hot oil unattended.

Baking instead

For a gentler version, brush or spray the coated arancini with oil and bake them in a hot oven until golden and crisp. They will not be quite as crunchy as fried ones, but they are still very good, and less fuss when feeding a group.

Smaller versions

Bite-size arancini, rolled around a single cube of cheese, are perfect with drinks. See our aperitivo snacks page for company on the plate.