🍃 Pesto Arancini

Oozing with cheese, packed with herby pesto goodness, crispy and golden — pesto arancini are the kind of snack you’ll plan your day around.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Chilling time 30

Total Time 1 10

Start by gently heating 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large frying pan. Add 60 g shallot (finely chopped) and 2 cloves garlic (minced). Sauté for a minute to soften.
Heat 600 ml water in a large saucepan with 1 vegetable stock cube. Bring to a gentle simmer.
Add 150 g risotto rice and cook over low heat until the grains begin to toast and turn golden.
Add a ladle of the simmering vegetable stock to the rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until the stock is completely absorbed. Add another ladle of stock and repeat this process until all the stock has been added. The rice should be plump and soft.
Stir through 20 g butter. Whisk vigorously. This makes the risotto extra creamy and rich.
Season your risotto with ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 pinch fine sea salt, 1 tablespoon pecorino (grated), and 1 sprig basil leaves (roughly torn). Stir through and turn off the heat.
Spread the risotto over a large plate and leave to chill.

Once the risotto has cooled, portion into 15 evenly-sized sections.
Take one portion of rice, flatten it, and then cup your palm to create a bowl-like shape. Fill with ½ teaspoon of pesto (out of the 2 ½ tablespoons pesto total) and a chunk of mozzarella (out of the 125 g mozzarella total amount). Carefully fold the rice over the fillings and roll into a ball. Repeat this process with the remaining risotto and fillings.
Whisk 1 egg in a bowl. Add 60 g plain flour to a large plate, and 40 g breadcrumbs to another large plate. This is your coating station.
Firstly, roll the arancini in the flour. Then, dip in the egg. Finally, roll in the breadcrumbs. Repeat this process.

Preheat 1 litre neutral oil in a deep fat fryer (or deep saucepan) to 180℃ (355℉). Tip: You can tell when the oil is hot enough by dropping in a breadcrumb. They should immediately sizzle, brown, and rise to the surface.
Carefully lower the arancini into the oil. Don't overcrowd the pan; I fry 3-4 arancini at a time. Cook until golden brown. Remove using a slotted spoon and drain any excess oil. Repeat with the remaining pesto arancini.