Four-Cheese Arancini

The four-cheese arancini are a very tasty variation of the classic Sicilian arancini. Here is the recipe to prepare four-cheese arancini.

Ingredients

• 200 g Arborio or Carnaroli rice
• 500 ml vegetable broth
• 1 small white onion
• 50 g butter
• 50 g grated Parmesan
• A mix of 150 g cheeses of your choice such as Gorgonzola, Fontina, Provola, Taleggio
• 2 eggs
• Breadcrumbs as needed
• Flour as needed
• Oil for frying
• Salt and pepper as needed

Preparation

1. Finely chop the onion and sauté it in a pot with half the butter until it becomes translucent.

2. Add the rice and toast it for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Then start adding the hot vegetable broth, one ladle at a time, allowing the rice to absorb the liquid before adding more. Cook for about 18 minutes or until the rice is al dente.

3. Once cooked, turn off the heat, add the Parmesan and the remaining butter. Mix well until you obtain a creamy consistency. Let the risotto cool.

4. Meanwhile, cut the cheeses into cubes.

5. Take a portion of cold risotto, flatten it on your hand and place some cheese cubes in the center.

6. Close the risotto around the cheese, forming a ball. Repeat until the ingredients are used up.

7. Coat each arancino first in flour, then in the beaten egg and finally in breadcrumbs.

8. Fry the arancini in plenty of hot oil until they become golden and crispy.

9. Drain them and let them rest on absorbent paper to remove excess oil.

Trivia

The arancini, which take their name from their shape and color similar to oranges, have ancient origins dating back even to the Arab period in Sicily. The four-cheese version is a more recent reworking that plays with the creaminess and richness of Italian cheeses. Serve the arancini hot and enjoy the stringy and flavorful heart of the four cheeses. Buon appetito!