Arancine: Fried Risotto Balls

Ingredients:

2 cups of short grain rice

8 ounces of Italian cheese for filling (I use goat cheese, Parmesan, Fontina, and a bit of Gorgonzola)

1 tsp. fresh oregano, finely chopped

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups fine bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 quart vegetable oil for frying

Directions:

Boil the rice in abundant salted water; strain and put in a bowl. Let cool. Mix cheeses and chopped oregano in a bowl. To form the balls, take approximately 2 tsp. of rice and flatten it into your hand (wet hands). Place a teaspoon of cheese filling on the flattened rice. Top with another 2 tsp. of rice and form into a ball, enclosing the cheese well. Continue with remaining ingredients, forming balls. In a small bowl, beat the three eggs. In another bowl, combine bread crumbs and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Roll each rice ball in egg and then bread crumb mixture. Place balls on a baking sheet to be ready to fry. Heat oil in a deep pan to 375 degrees F. Carefully place a few balls into hot oil. Do not crowd the pan. Turn balls to brown on all sides and remove to a plate lined with paper towel. Let cool slightly and serve. Balls can be kept warm in a 250 degree oven until serving time. 

Note: You can use meat sauce as the filling also, adding a bit of cheese.