Giada says: “In Italy, where risotto is served as both an entrée and a side dish, cooks often have some left over in the fridge and these little fritters are a good way to use it up. I like them so much I make risotto from scratch in the morning, let it cool all day, and then, in the evening, I make these balls of pure heaven: crispy outside, creamy inside. You can fill them with meat and cheese if you’d like, but to elevate them from street food and make them part of my summertime menu, I stuff them with crab (or even lobster if I want to be überfancy). These are rich, so allow two or three per serving.”

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 shallots, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
197g Arborio rice
237ml dry white wine
473ml seafood broth or bottled clam juice
45g freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 tbsp mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1 tsp grated lemon zest
456g lump crabmeat, picked through for shells
2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
1⁄2 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs at room temperature, lightly beaten
85g panko bread crumbs
Vegetable oil, for frying
225g prepared marinara sauce, for dipping (optional)

Method

Heat a 3 1⁄2-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and butter, and heat until the butter is melted. To the hot oil, add the shallots and garlic. Cook, stirring often, with a wooden spoon, for about two minutes, or until the vegetables are soft and become fragrant.

Add 1⁄2 teaspoon of the salt to the pan along with the Arborio rice. Stir the rice to coat it with all the flavours of the pan and cook for one minute. Stir in the wine, scraping the bottom of the pan, and reduce the heat to medium. Simmer until the wine is almost entirely absorbed, about three minutes, stirring frequently. Add all of the broth to the pan and stir to combine. Cook, stirring often, until the rice is tender but not mushy, 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in the cheeses, lemon zest, crabmeat, and chives. Spread the risotto out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet to cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely cold, about two hours.

Prepare a breading station using three shallow bowls. Place the flour mixed with the remaining 1⁄2 teaspoon salt in one, the eggs in another, and the panko in yet another. Scoop out one tablespoon of risotto and, using your palms, shape it into a ball. Roll the ball in the flour mixture, shaking off the excess, then the egg. Lastly dip the ball in the panko, being careful to coat it completely. Place the ball on a rimmed baking sheet. Continue making and coating balls until all the risotto is used.

Fill a medium saucepan with two inches of vegetable oil and heat it to 175°C on a deep-fry thermometer over medium-high heat. Using a wire skimmer or a slotted spoon, lower five or six balls into the oil. Fry for three to four minutes, or until they are a deep golden brown and heated through. Remove to a paper towel–lined tray. Continue with the rest of the balls, making sure you don’t overcrowd the pan to ensure they brown evenly. Serve with warm marinara for dipping, if desired.

From Giada’s Italy, copyright © 2018 by Giada De Laurentiis (Clarkson Potter Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House, £25), out now

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