March 1, 2020

Lobster Saffron Arancini

By Christine Burns Rudalevige

Feature Image by Derek Bissonnette

Arancini is an Italian snack made from leftover risotto. The recipe is a simple one. Take 2 tablespoons of cold Lobster, Fennel, and Saffron Risotto in the palm of your hand. Place a small piece of mozzarella cheese in the middle of the risotto and fashion the risotto into a ball around it. Roll the ball first in a beaten egg and then in dried breadcrumbs. Repeat this process until you’ve used up the risotto. Let the arancini sit in the refrigerator while you heat a pot of vegetable oil to 375°F. Fry the arancini until they are golden brown and serve immediately. Serve alone or with a quick saffron aioli, which involves stirring ½ cup of mayonnaise with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 minced garlic clove, and a pinch of saffron.

About the author

Christine Burns Rudalevige

Christine is a former Editor-in-Chief of edible MAINE. She has lived in many places, including Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, England and France. But her professional world has consistently been grounded in just two: in journalism and in the kitchen. Throughout her 30-year writing career, she’s covered sports, politics, business and technology. But for the past 10 years after completing culinary school, she’s focused on food. Her words and recipes about eating locally and sustainably have appeared in publications from The Portland Press Herald to Fine Cooking. Her award-winning cookbook Green Plate Special was published in 2017. When she’s not laboring over a cutting board or a keyboard, she’s learning from her two semi-adult children, a community of food-minded friends, hundreds of productive Maine farmers, thousands of innovative chefs near and far, and her 30,000 honeybees.