If there was any possible way to improve upon risotto, making arancini is it. Filling balls of risotto with cheese, frying until crisp, and dipping in warm marinara? Next level. This Mushroom Arancini with Gruyere is the perfect way to use up leftover risotto, or the perfect excuse to whip up a fresh batch. The combination of flavors and textures in these arancini make them truly delectable. A crispy, golden brown exterior. Tender, earthy risotto inside. A core of melty, sharp Gruyere. There’s nothing not to love about this classic Sicilian treat. They are also fully customizable depending on whatever risotto and cheese you have on hand or prefer. So go ahead and whip up a batch (or two) and thank me later.
Arancini are a type of classic Sicilian street food. Although they are often filled with meat or a meat based-ragu, I prefer a simple cheese filling in mine. The experience of breaking open a warm arancina (the Italian singular form) to find a core of gooey cheese is a delicious treat.
Although they take some time to make (counting making the risotto), I think they are well worth it. The contrasting flavors and textures breathe a new life into the rice and transform the experience entirely.
Looking for other appetizers? Try these:
Smoked Turkey, Swiss, and Dijon Pull-Apart Sliders with Garlic Butter
Arancini are fun to serve as an appetizer, but I’ve been known to eat them alone as a meal. I recommend making more than you think you’ll need! If you do happen to have leftover Arancini, they can be reheated in the oven to maintain their crispness.
The process of making arancini is simple. Room temperature or chilled risotto is formed around a cube of cheese, completely encasing it. Then, the rice ball is rolled in flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs, forming a crispy coating. Finally, the balls are fried until the outside is golden and the inside is molten and melted. That’s it!
I hope you love these Mushroom Arancini with Gruyere as much as I do! If you make this recipe, leave a comment and let me know what you thought or feel free to ask a question! I’d also love to see what you made! Tag me in your food pics @fortheperfectbite or use #fortheperfectbite on Instagram.
Mushroom Arancini with Gruyere
Equipment
- Deep Fry Thermometer
Ingredients
Risotto
- ½ pound crimini mushrooms
- olive oil
- ½ tbsp salted butter
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- 1 large sprig fresh thyme
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup pecorino romano cheese, grated
- kosher salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Arancini
- 4 oz. gruyere cheese, cubed
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups panko breadcrumbs
- 6 cups avocado or vegetable oil, for frying
- marinara sauce, for serving
Instructions
Risotto
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Wash the crimini mushrooms, then arrange on a baking sheet. Lightly drizzle to coat with olive oil, then roast until soft, about 15 minutes.
- In a food processor, blend the mushrooms until finely ground.
- In a large pot, melt the butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and saute until just starting to caramelize, about 4 minutes.
- Warm the chicken broth in a separate pot on the stove until just steaming.
- Stir the rice, thyme sprigs, and 1 tsp. salt into the garlic and onion. Increase the heat to medium-high and toast the rice, stirring, about 4 minutes, until the rice is just barely browning.
- Pour in the wine. Stir until the wine is absorbed into the rice.
- Decrease the heat back to medium and stir in a few ladles of the hot chicken broth. Cook, stirring often, until the broth is absorbed, keeping a gentle simmer going.
- Continue this process, adding the chicken broth a ladle at a time and stirring until it is absorbed, until all the broth is gone.
- Taste a small spoon of rice to check for doneness, it should be soft with just a slight chew to it.
- When the rice is cooked, stir in the ground mushrooms, pecorino romano cheese, and freshly cracked black pepper and salt, to taste.
- If the risotto is too thick, it can be thinned with a little more broth. If it is too thin, it can be simmered a bit longer to thicken.
- Remove the woody thyme sprigs. Allow the risotto to cool.If you are making the arancini the same day, spread the risotto out onto a baking sheet and place in the refrigerator for quicker cooling.
Arancini
- When the risotto is at least room temperature (colder if possible), form the arancini:Scoop ¼ cup risotto into your hand. Flatten into a disk, place a cube of gruyere in the center, then form the risotto into a ball around the gruyere cube.Place the ball onto a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining risotto and gruyere.
- Place the arancini into the freezer while you prepare the coating ingredients (at least 10 minutes, up to 1 hour.
- Heat the avocado/vegetable oil in a pot over medium heat.
- Place the all-purpose flour, eggs, and panko breadcrumbs into three separate bowls. Beat the eggs until scrambled. Season the panko breadcrumbs with salt and pepper.
- Coat the arancini:One at a time, coat the balls in flour, then egg, then panko breadcrumbs, being sure to shake off the excess at each step.
- When the oil reaches 350°F, gently place a few balls into the oil, being sure not to crowd the pot (usually about 5 at a time). Fry until golden and crisp, about 7 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack or paper-towel lined plate to drain.Repeat, in batches, with remaining balls.
- Serve immediately, with warm marinara for dipping.
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