This week has been a doozy. My brain feels deep fried, so I deep fried some artichoke arancini. I started the week with risotto verde, which turned out great. I wasn’t super inspired when photographing just the risotto, though. And all I could think about was arancini. After a few days of barely sleeping and thinking of deep fried risotto, I decided to heat up some oil and get to work.

Making Artichoke Risotto + Resting

I’ve been really struggling with mental health lately. It’s odd to take a medication that you don’t know much of anything about and trust a licensed stranger to alter your brain chemistry. I’ve been on a few different medications in the past couple months, all with the hopes of helping my ADHD. Which has made everything feel like I’m in a washing machine. One made me focused and less anxious but hurt my body. Another has made me happier but nearly wiped out my sleep. This week I’m searching for enough energy to make a pb+j, let alone arancini. 

But, after a nutritious lunch, I felt a boost of energy and inspiration. I thought back to my recent travels in Italy. We were in Florence, which is not the home of arancini, or risotto, but our philosophy was that it must be a lot better there than in the states. The closer you are to the source of where a recipe comes from, the better it must be. I still think that’s probably true, but not after eating a half-cold microwaved, day- old ball of arancini from a random store. It looked good in the case, and my heart dropped when I saw the man throw it into the microwave. We split bites of it on the street. Part of it was cheesy and pleasant. The breading was crisp. But it let me down.

Spinach + Artichoke Arancini Recipe

So, I’ve been thinking about making artichoke arancini since I got home months ago. I’ve been thinking about going to Southern Italy and dreaming of trying Neapolitan pizza and risotto. As I mentioned, my idea for the blog this week was to make a spring risotto. Packed with green. Risotto verde – short rice grains dyed by spinach and basil, infused into the stock. It came out great, but wasn’t green enough. And I was too tired to take my time and present it in a painterly way. So, with leftovers in the fridge and an unexpected off day, I decided to make my own artichoke arancini, with the promise of them not being dry. Or microwaved. 

I started by testing the texture. I like an almost runny yet creamy risotto, so it set up into a somewhat still soft mush. Firm enough to mold into balls. I mixed in some artichoke with the phrase “spinach and artichoke dip arancini” ringing in my ear. Another dish I’ve wanted to make. Then, I pressed risotto into an ice cream scoop. Half full. Pressing a piece of mozzarella into the mix halfway through and topping with more risotto. With the warmth of my hands I could tell the risotto was too loose, so after forming 8 risotto balls, I popped them into the freezer to set up. 

Deep-Frying Risotto Balls

After a few minutes, I crept into the basement and pried the cold baking sheet off of the top shelf. I poked the rice balls and decided they were ready to be fried. I carried them back into the kitchen and began filling plates with flour, whisked eggs and cream, and a mixture of canned breadcrumbs. Then I started to drift into that creative realm where nothing exists besides what you are doing. I heated up oil in a pot and one at a time diligently fried the rice balls, turning them constantly to evenly brown them. I sprinkled flaky salt on the top.

Once they were all done, I realized I had nearly missed the window to do my errands. I cut the most recently fried ball on my cutting board and tasted it. A creamy mixture of green rice and artichoke and a hint of acid and salt. The shell was crispy and warm and cracked in my mouth. The mozzarella in the middle gently started to ooze but held its chew. It was uniquely delicious. Made more delicious by the time I spent forming them, breading them, and frying them. I popped the finished balls in a freezer bag and stuffed them in the fridge while I did my errands. 

Taste Test

Today I’m thinking that they’d be so good with a simple white cream sauce. A béchamel with a hint of lemon. They remind me of that comforting quality of spinach and artichoke dip with a luxurious risotto bite. The shell is perfectly thin and savory and crunchy and works so well with the creaminess of the filling. The mozzarella is delicious on its own and adds a great chew and saltiness. These are super stunning, and prove that one day’s risotto (that you don’t want to photograph) is another day’s arancini. What a good recipe, well worth the effort. 

I can only imagine the crisp and warm artichoke arancini on the coast of Italy in the summer. I can hear the sounds of motorbikes and Italian chatting as background noise. Tourists laughing. I am looking forward to going back to Italy someday soon and exploring more regions. Tasting risotto and arancini and more gelato. Pizza. Cannoli. I hope to learn more about where these recipes come from and what makes them authentic. And I’m excited to paint them!

Getting Creative Again

For now, I’m off to try and get some rest. To do some more errands. To eat more artichoke arancini. I’m tired, mentally and physically, but I know that this feeling is temporary. I’m so excited to feel like myself again and to roar with creativity and a passion for art and food. It’s still there, but the flame is a little dull right now. I have no doubt that with time and patience it’ll be a full flame again. I have a list of over 100 recipes that I want to make and paint, and I can’t wait to explore the farmers market to see what they have this week! Thank you as always for reading, and stay tuned. 

If you enjoyed this blog and my paintings / recipes, check out Etsy for 100’s of my recipe cards and art prints! Use code THEFORKEDRING for 25% off. Thank you for reading.

Print Pin

Spinach and Artichoke Arancini

The taste of spinach and artichoke dip in a crispy, fried risotto ball

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Italian

Keyword arancini, risotto

Prep Time 1 day day 1 hour hour

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Servings 16

Author theforkedring

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups fresh basil
• 1 1/2 cups fresh spinach
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 3 cups chicken / vegetable stock
• 5 tbsp butter
• 1 medium onion diced
• 3-4 cloves garlic fine diced
• 1 3/4 cup arborio rice
• 1 cup white wine
• 2/3 cup fresh grated parmesan
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 cup chopped canned artichokes
• 8 oz mozzarella
• 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 2 eggs + 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 3 cups neutral frying oil vegetable / canola

Instructions

• Start by heating a saucepan with water on high heat until boiling.
• Blanche basil and spinach in boiling water for a few seconds to cook and immediately transfer to a bowl of cold water to shock and stop cooking.
• Blend 1 1/2 cups water with spinach and basil until smooth. Transfer to saucepan to heat with your chicken or vegetable stock.
• Melt 3 tbsp butter and a drizzle of olive oil in a large saucepan on medium heat.
• Cook onion and garlic for 3-4 minutes until soft and translucent.
• Add rice and cook for 3-4 minutes to toast. The rice will slightly darken in color.
• Deglaze pan with your white wine and allow rice to absorb liquid.
• Add 3/4 cup to 1 cup of your spinach/basil/stock each time the rice finishes absorbing liquid and cook over medium heat.
• Make sure to taste your rice for texture and turn off heat once the rice is al dente.
• After you turn off your heat, you should have some stock mixture left. To your rice, add parmesan, lemon juice, salt, cream, and artichokes. Add stock to achieve the perfect texture (runny and slightly thick but not watery).
• Remove from heat and season your risotto to taste. Transfer to a heat-proof leftovers container and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours, up to a day.
• When ready to make arancini, fill an ice cream scoop with a small amount of leftover risotto, making a well to fit a slice of fresh mozzarella. Cover with more risotto and form into a tight ball.
• Once you form all of your balls, place on a baking sheet and chill in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to firm up.
• In 3 large plates, place plain flour in one, your eggs and cream in another, and a mixture of your breadcrumbs in the last. Coat arancini balls in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs, and press to adhere.
• Heat oil over medium / high heat in a large stock pan. One at a time, fry arancini balls until crisp and deeply golden brown.
• Remove from oil and drain on a paper towel-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Serve arancini as they are or with a simple white cream sauce and a garnish of freshly grated parmesan.

Notes

• You can use cheddar or a similar hard cheese instead of mozzarella if you’d prefer!
• Don’t leave the arancini in the freezer for too long before breading – the inside will freeze and leave you with a cold center even after deep frying. 
• To reheat, pop these in the oven at 350°F for 10 minutes.