Leftover Rice Is The Secret To The Absolute Best Arancini

Out of all of the delicious ways to use leftover rice, a homemade batch of arancini is one of the most mouthwatering options. Typically, you grab arborio rice to make risotto, then use the cooled down finished product to make a fresh batch of deep-fried arancini. However, leftover rice can also be used to make excellent homemade arancini, according to Jasper J. Mirabile Jr., chef and owner of Jasper's Restaurant and host of Live! From Jasper's Kitchen Radio.

"My family has been making this Sicilian dish for over a century and, of course, I always insist on leftover or precooked rice that has been prepared at least six hours ahead of time," Mirabile says. "It's [drier] and easier to form. This is a must in my family's Sicilian household." It doesn't even have to be leftover Arborio rice, because any type of rice should work as long as it's not very wet. You can even use leftover fried rice or any other leftover rice from last night's takeout. This will prevent food waste and save you time during the lengthy process of making arancini at home.

You can't just form leftover rice into arancini balls — some prep work is needed first to achieve the best consistency and flavor before you even heat the oil to fry. "Prepare the rice just like you would risotto and then lay out in a casserole. Bring to room temperature and refrigerate until ready to use," says Mirabile. "I also like [to] season the rice with grated romano cheese and perhaps a little salt depending on the saltiness of the cheese."

The cold rice will be easier to work with and form into balls, then bread and eventually fry. To make around 15 balls, two cups of leftover rice should be sufficient. To add cheese like Mirabile suggests, add a generous amount of grated parmesan cheese and salt to the rice before you form the balls and follow the rest of the arancini recipe. And in case you aren't convinced about using leftover rice, even Michael Symon's secret for perfect arancini involves preparing the rice ahead of time.