Arancini

There is a restaurant in Newton called Fiorella's that makes a fantastic appetizer called Arancini -- fried balls of rice and cheese covered in sauce.  In keeping with the theme of "balls" for New Year's Eve, Catherine came up with the brainchild of trying to make these and found this recipe on Pinterest.  Who knew we could make something that would taste as good at home as it does at the restaurant.  Since it was a last-minute add-on to the menu, we didn't have the cubes of mozzarella that it called for, so we improvised with shredded mozzarella and it was still delicious.  I can't wait to try them again using one of those cute little mozzarella balls.

• 2 cups cooked white rice, cooled
  
• ½ cup grated Parmesan 
• 3 eggs, separated 
• 1-2 cup of shredded mozzarella; or small cubes/balls fresh mozzarella (enough for each ball) 
• 1 cup Italian-style breadcrumbs
   
• Oil, for frying 
• 1 cup marinara sauce 

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook the rice as directed and cool.
   
2. Heat oil in a Fry Daddy.
   (Original instructions for those who do not have a Fry Daddy:  Place a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and add enough vegetable oil to rise 4 inches in the pot.  Oil should reach temperature of 375ºF).
   
3. Combine the rice, Parmesan and 1 egg in a medium bowl and use your hands to thoroughly combine the mixture. 
4. If using shredded mozzarella, start with 1 cup and add to the rice mixture.  If it does not seem “cheesy” enough, add more. 
5. Form each arancini by taking a small portion of the mixture to make a ball, squeezing it firmly.
   • If using cube/ball mozzarella, insert one piece into the center of the arancini and close the ball. 
6. Repeat this process to form the remaining arancini (quantity is dependent on the size of the balls you make).
7. Whisk together the remaining 2 eggs in a bowl.In a separate bowl, put in the breadcrumbs.
8. Dip each arancini in the egg bowl and then in the breadcrumb bowl, shaking off any excess.
   
9. Once the oil is to temperature, add 1 or 2 of the breaded arancini to the pot and fry them until golden brown and cooked throughout.
10. Use a slotted spoon to remove the fried arancini from the pot and transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate.
11. Immediately salt the arancini.
12. Repeat the frying process with the remaining arancini.
13. Serve the arancini warm with a side of warm marinara sauce.

Adapted from Just a GoodRecipe blog