Steps to make mushroom arancini

• Early in the morning or late in the evening, before going to bed, bring the broth to a boil in a heavy-bottomed pot and add the rice. Cook for 10–15 minutes, then turn off the heat, put the lid on and let the rice finish cooking by absorption — it will take another 10 minutes. Spread the rice out on a large baking tray, add the butter and the grated cheese, mix, and let it rest uncovered for 6–8 hours so the rice “dries” a bit. Thanks to this step, the arancini won’t fall apart while frying.

  

• To make the mushroom sauce you can use whichever mushrooms you prefer; I chose frozen champignon, portobello and porcini. Clean the mushrooms by trimming the roots and wiping them with a piece of paper towel; if you prefer, rinse them quickly under running water and cut them into very small pieces. In a saucepan, gently melt the butter with the oil and add the finely chopped onion, then add the mushrooms, salt and stir. Add the chopped parsley and the garlic, peeled, with the germ removed and cut in half.

  

• Once the mushrooms’ cooking liquids have evaporated, remove the garlic and add the flour. Stir over high heat and then begin to pour in the milk little by little, stirring continuously. At the end of cooking you’ll have obtained a creamy mushroom béchamel, but not too firm; if it seems too thick add a little more milk — keep in mind that as it cools it will thicken a bit more than it looks at the end of cooking. Add the grated cheese, stir, pour into a bowl and let cool.

  

• Season the rice with one and a half ladles of the mushroom sauce and with the grated cheese, mixing very well using your hands. Cut the cheese into cubes; I chose a fresh caciotta, but you can use pizza mozzarella (which is less flavorful), sweet provola or Emmental…

  Start assembling the arancini.

  Take a handful of rice and spread it on the palm of your hand lightly oiled so it covers your fingers; the layer should be just under 3/8 in thick (a little less than 1 cm).

  Close your hand slightly to form a cavity.

  Fill with a spoonful of mushroom béchamel and two or three cubes of cheese.

  Close the rice over the filling to form a ball.

  Roll it between your hands and compact it, pressing out any air bubbles; make sure the rice wraps the filling evenly.

  Once all the arancini are formed, let them rest in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

  

• If you prefer (and I recommend it), use a specific arancini mold which you can find online.

  How to use the arancini mold:

  – Put a handful of rice into the lightly oiled mold, filling it a bit more than halfway. Place the top part of the mold on and then use the plunger to press and form a cavity.

  

• Fill the cavity, cover with more rice, press and remove from the mold.

  Let’s bread the arancini.

  

• Prepare a batter that is not too thick but fairly fluid by dissolving the flour in the water and adding one egg.

  Dip the arancini in the batter and then in the breadcrumbs.

  If the breadcrumbs form lumps, occasionally sift them (I use a colander), otherwise they’ll stick to the arancini. Sometimes a double pass through the batter and breadcrumbs is required if the first coating doesn’t adhere perfectly.

  

• Fry the arancini in oil that is already hot; cook them for 4–5 minutes, then drain them and repeat the frying step. Double-frying is essential to obtain a golden, sturdy and crunchy crust.

  If you need to organize timing, you can do the first fry a few hours before and the second just before serving.

  The mushroom arancini are ready — enjoy!

  

• Arancini are best enjoyed fresh. If you have leftovers, store them in the refrigerator for 2–3 days and reheat as needed. I don’t recommend freezing arancini, either before or after frying, as the rice would likely become a mushy, unappetizing texture in my opinion.

  

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