Spinach Arancini

To make spinach arancini, start by preparing the rice: pour the rice into a large pot, add 1 liter of water 1 and salt 2 and cook it for about 25 minutes: the rice should be well-dried at the end 3.

Turn off the heat and add the saffron dissolved in a small amount of the rice cooking water 4, mix well 5, then add the Parmesan cheese 6.

Add the butter 7 and stir again to mix everything well. Transfer the rice to an oil-greased tray 8 and spread it evenly to cool, then cover with plastic wrap in contact 9 and let it cool in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

In the meantime, prepare the ingredients for the filling: cut the caciocavallo into very small cubes 10 and finely chop the cooked ham 11. Rinse the spinach well and pour them into a large pot, salt, and add about 7 fl oz of water 12.

Cover with a lid 13 and cook on low heat until wilted: it will take about 5-7 minutes 14. Drain the spinach to remove excess water 15 and let them cool.

Once the spinach has cooled, chop them finely 16. Now prepare the batter: in a bowl, mix water with the flour 17 and stir well with a whisk to avoid lumps until you get a homogeneous mixture 18.

When the rice has cooled properly, you can start making the arancini: to help yourself, keep a bowl full of water nearby to moisten your hands if necessary 19. Take about 6-7 oz of rice at a time, flatten it on the palm of your hand and form a sort of hollow 20, then add a tablespoon of caciocavallo cubes 21,

a tablespoon of chopped ham 22, and a tablespoon of spinach 23. Shape the rice into a sphere, pushing the filling inside to ensure it doesn't spill out 24. Once all the arancini are formed, pour the seed oil into a saucepan and bring it to a temperature of 284°F.

Dip one arancino at a time in the batter 25, then coat them with breadcrumbs 26 and fry them in hot oil for about 5-7 minutes each 27. It is not advisable to fry more than one piece at a time to prevent the oil temperature from dropping.

When the arancini are golden and crispy, drain them 28 and place them on a sheet of frying paper or absorbent paper to remove excess oil 29. Your spinach arancini are ready to be enjoyed while still hot 30!