Recipe: Arancini Di Riso (Risotto balls)

Ok, I have a confession to make. I, Anna, am addicted to my deep fryer... But if you are reading this post, I am sure you can relate!

The name arancini di riso means "little orange rice balls" after the Milanese risotto made with saffron (which gave the rice a pale orange colour). It's also sometimes called suppli (short for suppli al telefono) because the melted cheese resembles telephone wires. But whatever you call it, this is a great way to use leftovers and can be done with almost any type of risotto - something simple like a tomato or mushroom works well (you want to avoid any with big pieces like chicken or asparagus though).

Makes about 30

-2 cups risotto, cooled

-1/2 cup Italian style seasoned bread crumbs, plus extra 1/2 cup for coating

-1/2 c parmesan cheese

-2 large eggs

-2 oz. part-skim mozzarella cheese, cubed

Heat oil to 180C (350F).

Combine the first four ingredients (except the extra breadcrumbs for coating) in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Spoon about 1 tbsp of the mixture and place it in your hand. Push a cube of the mozzarella into rice. Smooth and shape into a ball surrounding the cheese. Roll ball in a bowl with the extra bread crumbs to coat. Continue with the remaining rice and cubes of cheese.

Fry in small batches for about 4-5 min until golden brown. Let them cool for about 2 mins before serving (they will be HOT inside otherwise!). You can also serve these with some marinara sauce for dipping - but they are also just as delicious on their own!

Recipe from Giada de Laurentis at foodnetwork.com