Gluten Free Arancini (Rice Balls)
Gluten free arancini is made with cooked risotto rice, mushrooms, beef and cheese, and coated in gf bread crumbs, then fried gently.
Yield: 8 rice balls
Equipment
- Candy/deep fry thermometer
Ingredients
- 3 cups (420 g) cooked short-grain rice at room temperature (arborio rice works great; sushi rice works even better)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 ounce finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese at room temperature
- 2 (100 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs at room temperature, beaten
- 2 ½ ounces low-moisture mozzarella cheese roughly chopped
- ½ cup sautéed mushrooms
- ½ cup cooked ground beef (optional)
- ½ cup (70 g) gum-free gluten free flour blend for dredging
- Egg wash (1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon lukewarm water), for dipping
- Finely ground gluten free breadcrumbs seasoned to taste with kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper and/or dried oregano as desired (finely ground gluten free corn flake cereal also works really well)
- Oil for frying
- Tomato sauce for serving
Instructions
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper, and set it aside.
- In a large bowl, place the cooked rice, salt, pepper, oregano, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and 2 beaten eggs, and mix to combine well. The starchier the rice, the better the mixture will hold together.
- If any of your ingredients are cold, the mixture will not hold together well.
- All of the shaping should be done with very wet hands, as that will help keep the rice from sticking to your hands. Wet them often. Divide the mixture into 8 parts of equal size.
- Divide the first part in half, and press half of the mixture firmly into one wet palm.
- With your free hand, place 2 small cubes of mozzarella cheese, plus about 1 sautéed mushroom or 1 teaspoon of cooked ground beef (if using), in the center of the rice in your palm.
- Place the remaining half of the rice on top of the fillings, and (again with very wet hands!) squeeze the mixture closed as tightly as you can, and roll into a ball.
- Set the filled rice ball on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining 7 parts of the rice mixture.
- Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator (for 15 minutes) or freezer (for 5 minutes) until firm.
- Place the gum-free gluten free flour blend in a shallow bowl, the egg wash in another shallow bowl, and the (seasoned) breadcrumbs in a final shallow bowl.
- Remove the rice balls from the refrigerator or freezer. Dredge each rice ball through the flour blend, then through the egg wash (allowing any excess to drip off), and finally in the breadcrumbs until well-coated on all sides.
- Return to the baking sheet. Place the coated rice balls in the refrigerator while you heat the oil.
- In a medium-size, heavy-bottom pot or fryer, place about 3-inches of frying oil.
- Clip a deep-fry/candy thermometer to the side of the pot or fryer, and place the oil over medium-high heat. Bring the oil to 375°F.
- Remove the rice balls from the refrigerator, and fry in small batches until cooked through and golden brown all over (about 6 minutes total).
- Transfer the rice balls to a paper towel-lined plate and serve warm, with tomato sauce.
Thanks for stopping by!
Hi, I’m Nicole. I create gluten free recipes that really work and taste as good as you remember. No more making separate meals when someone is GF, or buying packaged foods that aren’t good enough to justify the price. At Gluten Free on a Shoestring, “good, for gluten free” just isn’t good enough! Come visit my bio!
