These crispy arancini are tomato risotto balls filled with creamy Boursin cheese, coated in panko breadcrumbs and fried until golden and crisp.
This is vegetarian food that even carnivores will love.
They’re so good they almost convinced me to buy the deep-fat fryer my partner has been after. Tempting as it is, I’ll keep frying to occasional treats—these arancini are perfect for that.
If you make the risotto specially for arancini, it’s smart to double or triple the recipe so you can enjoy the risotto for dinner and reserve the rest for the balls.
I made the risotto for these Crispy Tomato Arancini from my Creamy Tomato Risotto recipe. Leftover risotto works perfectly too.
They’re a little messy to assemble, but the reward is worth the effort.
Serve them as party appetisers, as a main with a simple salad, or alongside fish. Once the risotto has cooled you simply take a spoonful, flatten it, add a dollop of Boursin in the centre, wrap the rice around the cheese, then pass each ball through seasoned flour, beaten egg and panko breadcrumbs.
You can make bite-sized arancini for more servings or golf-ball-sized ones like I did.
Once coated, fry in batches of 3–4 in hot oil and drain on a rack set over kitchen paper.
Eat them immediately with a crisp salad, or simply with a large glass of wine.
More Italian Recipes
If you’re hungry for more Italian dishes, try these classics from the same collection:
Lasagne
Spaghetti Bolognese
Tomato Risotto
Tuscan Chicken
Spaghetti and Meatballs
Easy Homemade Pasta
Chicken Parmesan
Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake
And for something sweet: Chewy Amaretti Cookies
The Crispy Tomato Arancini balls Recipe:
Crispy Tomato Arancini
Ingredients
Risotto:
- 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
- 400 ml vegetable stock
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large brown onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 300 g Arborio rice
- 150 ml white wine (optional)
- 3 tbsp double full-fat cream
- 50 g grated Parmesan
- Juice of ½ a lemon
- Pinch salt and black pepper
Remaining arancini ingredients:
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 120 g plain (all-purpose) flour mixed with a pinch of salt and pepper
- 100 g Boursin Garlic & Herb cheese
- Vegetable oil for deep frying
Instructions
- Make the tomato stock: strain the tinned tomatoes into a bowl, pressing any pulp through the sieve back into the liquid. Stir in the vegetable stock and tomato puree. Heat until almost boiling, then keep warm.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Cook the onion for about 5 minutes until translucent, add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add the Arborio rice and stir to coat the grains with oil.
- Pour in the wine and stir until mostly absorbed. Add the tomato stock one ladle at a time, stirring often and waiting until each addition is absorbed before adding the next. This should take 15–20 minutes.
- When the rice is cooked (soft with a slight bite), add the cream, Parmesan, lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Stir, turn off the heat and leave to cool. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 2–3 days).
- When ready to form the arancini, arrange the flour, beaten eggs and panko on three large plates.
- Take a heaped tablespoon of cold risotto, flatten it in your hand and place about a teaspoon of Boursin in the centre. Wrap the rice around the cheese and roll into a ball. Repeat until all the mixture is used.
- Fill a heavy-bottomed saucepan with oil to about one-third full—there should be enough to fully immerse the arancini. Heat the oil until hot.
- Coat each ball in flour, then egg, then panko, shaking off excess.
- Test the oil by dropping in a few breadcrumbs. If they bubble and rise immediately, reduce heat to medium-high. Fry 3–4 arancini at a time for about 2 minutes until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack set over kitchen paper. Repeat with the remaining balls.
- Serve hot. If not serving immediately, keep warm in a low oven for up to 15 minutes.
Notes
You can make arancini ahead and reheat in the oven. They’re best freshly fried but will stay crisp if cooled, refrigerated and reheated at 200°C/400°F for about 15 minutes.
Nutritional information is approximate.
Nutrition
Calories: 183 kcal | Carbs: 24 g | Protein: 4 g | Fat: 6 g | Saturated Fat: 3 g | Cholesterol: 26 mg | Sodium: 233 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 2 g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.