Truffle Arancini with Aged Parmesan

Truffle arancini might be the party appetizer with the highest approval-to-effort ratio. Golden and crispy on the outside, risotto-rich inside, with a molten mozzarella center and black truffle running through it all — they look ambitious and they taste it, but almost all the work happens the day before. The actual frying at the party is fast.

The arancini (the word means "little oranges" in Italian, for the shape and color) started as Sicilian street food. The truffle-enriched version is newer, but it's become a staple of Italian restaurant menus for obvious reasons: it's genuinely very good.

Ingredients (makes 24 arancini): - 2½ cups Arborio or Carnaroli rice - 5 cups warm chicken or vegetable stock - 1 small onion, finely diced - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter - ⅓ cup dry white wine - 3 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated - 1 tablespoon black truffle paste or truffle oil - 5 ¼ oz fresh mozzarella, cut into small cubes - 2 eggs, beaten - 5 ¼ oz fine breadcrumbs - Neutral oil for deep frying - Salt and white pepper

Instructions: Make risotto: sauté onion in butter until soft. Add rice, toast 2 minutes. Add wine, reduce. Add stock ladle by ladle, stirring until absorbed. After 18 minutes, remove from heat. Stir in Parmesan, truffle paste, salt, and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet to cool completely (refrigerate 2+ hours or overnight).

Form into golf-ball-sized rounds with a cube of mozzarella buried in the center. Dip in beaten egg, roll in breadcrumbs. Fry in 356°F oil for 3–4 minutes until deeply golden. Drain briefly.

Pro Tips: Cold risotto forms arancini far more easily than warm. The mozzarella must be very cold and dry to stay intact during frying. Arancini can be assembled and refrigerated (unfried) for up to 24 hours.