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Arancini cakes

Name: Arancini cakes
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: Makes 6
Cuisine: Italian recipes
Ingredients: 400g leftover chilled risotto (we like https://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/fennel-pea-and-bacon-risotto/this fennel, pea and bacon recipe); 20g parmesan, grated, plus extra to serve; 70g fresh breadcrumbs; Finely grated zest 1 lemon, plus wedges to serve; 70g plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper; 2 medium free-range eggs, beaten; 2 tbsp olive oil for frying

Published: 4 Nov 17
Updated: 26 May 25

It only takes 15 minutes to turn cold, leftover risotto into these easy Italian-style arancini cakes. Mixed with breadcrumbs and parmesan then fried to crisp perfection, these are a real midweek treat.

Easy
July 2017

Test kitchen approved

Makes 6
Hands-on time 15 min

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 236kcals
Fat: 11.3g (3.9g saturated)
Protein: 7.8g
Carbohydrates: 24.9g (1.1g sugars)
Fibre: 0.9g
Salt: 0.5g

For 6

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Ingredients

400g leftover chilled risotto (we like this fennel, pea and bacon recipe)
20g parmesan, grated, plus extra to serve
70g fresh breadcrumbs
Finely grated zest 1 lemon, plus wedges to serve
70g plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
 2 medium free-range eggs, beaten
 2 tbsp olive oil for frying

Method

Put the risotto in a bowl and stir in the grated parmesan. Divide the mix into 6 equal portions, then shape into flat patties. (We had extra risotto so we made 9.)
Mix the breadcrumbs with the lemon zest on a lipped plate, then put the seasoned flour and beaten eggs on 2 separate plates or in 2 separate shallow bowls.
Dust the risotto patties in the flour, then dip into the egg, then coat in the breadcrumbs, setting each aside on a tray as you work.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat, then fry the arancini cakes, in batches, for 3 minutes on each side, turning carefully with a fish slice. Serve sprinkled with extra parmesan, with lemon wedges to squeeze over.

Recipe from July 2017 Issue

Nutrition

For 6

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 236kcals
Fat: 11.3g (3.9g saturated)
Protein: 7.8g
Carbohydrates: 24.9g (1.1g sugars)
Fibre: 0.9g
Salt: 0.5g

delicious. tips

Arancini are traditionally round, but we flattened ours so they can be shallow fried.

If your risotto is too wet to shape, add extra parmesan to thicken it.

It’s less messy to coat the patties if you use one hand to flour and crumb them, and the other to dip them in the sticky egg.