Green bean arancini

Name: Green bean arancini
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Carnaroli rice 2 ½ cups; Water 5 cups; Grana Padano PDO cheese 4.6 oz; Butter cold 2.8 tbsp; Saffron 1 bag; Coarse salt to taste; Green beans to be cleaned 2 cups; Fontina cheese 3.5 oz; Garlic 1 clove; Sage to taste; Butter 2 tsp; Fine salt to taste; Breadcrumbs 2 ½ cups; Egg whites (about 4-5) 10 tbsp; Sunflower seed oil Rounded to nearest half cup. 8 ½ cups

Difficulty: Average
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 60 min
Serving: 4
Note + the rice cooling time (at least 3 h)

PRESENTATION

Green bean arancini swap the classic meat ragù for a filling of sage-and-butter sautéed green beans and fontina — a combination that melts into something genuinely stretchy at the center. The rice itself is saffron-scented, giving the exterior a warm golden color before the crust even forms, and a double breading locks in the contrast between that soft interior and a shell that stays dry and crisp all the way through.

Small enough to pass at a buffet or fry as a starter, these vegetarian arancini hold together well when made ahead and fried to order. Oil temperature is the one thing worth watching closely — it's what separates a clean, greaseless crust from a heavy one. Served straight from the oil, the fontina pulls and the breading snaps.

INGREDIENTS

For the rice (for about 16 arancini): Carnaroli rice 2 ½ cups (500 g); Water 5 cups (1.2 l); Grana Padano PDO cheese 4.6 oz (130 g); Butter 2.8 tbsp (40 g) - cold; Saffron 1 bag; Coarse salt to taste

For the filling: Green beans 2 cups (250 g) - to be cleaned; Fontina cheese 3.5 oz (100 g); Garlic 1 clove; Sage to taste; Butter 2 tsp (10 g); Fine salt to taste

For breading and frying: Breadcrumbs 2 ½ cups (300 g); Egg whites 10 tbsp (150 g) - (about 4-5); Sunflower seed oil 8 ½ cups (2 l) - Rounded to nearest half cup.

Preparation

How to prepare Green bean arancini

To prepare the green bean arancini, start by cooking the rice: bring a pot to a boil with about 5 cups of water (1.2 L), salt and the saffron 1, then add the rice 2 and cook for about 15–20 minutes, until the water is completely absorbed. When the water has been absorbed, stir in the butter and the grated Grana Padano 3.

Mix everything well 4, then transfer the rice to a baking dish and spread it out evenly 5. Cover with plastic wrap and let cool for a couple of hours at room temperature, then place it in the refrigerator for at least one hour 6.

Meanwhile, take care of the green beans: trim them 7 and cut them into pieces about 0.2 in (5 mm) 8. In a pan, gently melt the butter with a clove of garlic and a few sage leaves taken from the total amount 9. Chop the remaining sage.

Add the green beans 10 and sauté them in the butter for 5 minutes, then season with salt 11 and moisten with a very small amount of water 12. Cook over medium heat for about 10–15 minutes.

Once the green beans are cooked, remove the garlic 13 and the whole sage leaves and flavor with the chopped sage 14. Mix 15 and set aside.

Finely chop the fontina 16. After the rice has cooled, take about 3.5–4.2 oz of rice at a time (100–120 g) 17 and flatten it in the palm of your hand; to make this easier it is advisable to have slightly damp hands. Place a tablespoon of green beans in the center 18.

Also fill with the chopped fontina 19 and close the rice around the filling 20. Shape the arancino into a ball and place it on a tray lined with parchment paper 21. Proceed this way to form all the arancini; with these quantities you will obtain about 16.

Move on to the breading: coat each arancino first with the breadcrumbs 22, then with the egg white 23 and finally again with the breadcrumbs 34.

Once all the arancini are breaded 25, you are ready to fry: heat the oil in a small pot until it reaches 320°F (160°C), then immerse 2–3 arancini at a time with the help of a slotted spoon 26. Fry for 5–6 minutes, until fully golden 27.

Drain them on paper towels as you go 28. Salt to taste 29 and serve your green bean arancini while still hot 30!

Storage

It is recommended to eat the green bean arancini immediately. If necessary, they can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 days and reheated in the oven.

They can be frozen raw with the breading and then fried directly from frozen; in that case the cooking time will be a little longer.