This is a recipe you make once a year.
I first made arancini a couple of years ago for a holiday dinner, and now I thought about it again, and have made it again, every year since.
Arancini are the Italian dish of creamy risotto balls filled with mozzarella and fried to golden-stuffed perfection.
Guys, this is not a practical food to prepare. This is not a quick, everyday dinner. This is the opposite. First we prepare the risotto (a bit boring in itself) and then we roll it with mozzarella, bread it, fry it and dunk it, hot and melty, in a red sauce.
This is a recipe for special occasions and that’s why I only do it once a year. But when I make it…oh my God.
I made it a little earlier this year – I had to make it for this recipe post and video! woe is me! – but it usually stays on my mental calendar for the week between Christmas and New Year. It’s people going out, it’s a spirit of frivolity, it’s something to celebrate.
But ultimately it’s the desire to pull apart a crisp, golden ball of creamy risotto stuffed with melted, melted cheese and dip it in a rich red sauce. I can’t even. It feels so good Lick your fingers and repeat.
If you’ve never had arancini, I can’t wait for you to make them.