Arancini

Doneness

Done when the breadcrumb shell is golden brown and crisp all over and the centre is piping hot — the risotto and any cheese inside are already cooked, so you're really crisping the coating and melting the middle. Shake or turn at the halfway mark so every side browns. Cut one open to check the centre is hot through; cook from frozen and they need a few extra minutes.

Oil & seasoning

Yes — spray the breaded balls all over before cooking and again after the turn. The crumb coating needs oil to brown evenly; dry, unsprayed patches stay pale and powdery.

Season with: Classic mozzarella-stuffed (the benchmark): a cube of mozzarella in the centre of a parmesan risotto ball, served with marinara for dipping., Ragù: stuffed with a little meat ragù and peas, the Sicilian arancini al ragù., Mushroom-parmesan: mushroom risotto balls with extra parmesan for an earthy, vegetarian version., Plain with aioli: simple parmesan risotto balls served with garlic aioli or lemon aioli..

Watch out for

• !Chill the formed balls for at least 20–30 minutes before cooking so they firm up and hold their shape; warm risotto balls slump and crack open.
• !Bread them thoroughly — flour, egg, then breadcrumbs — with no bare risotto showing, or the filling leaks and burns onto the basket.
• !Spray oil all over the coating; the breadcrumbs won't brown where they're dry, leaving pale floury spots.
• !Cook in a single layer with space between the balls so the hot air crisps all sides instead of steaming them together.
• !Cook frozen arancini straight from the freezer — don't thaw — and add a few minutes so the centre heats through before the shell over-browns.