Cocktail Hour @ Ciao Fiore!
Meyer Lemon Arancini, Flower Petal Confetti, Parmesan
It’s cocktail hour at Ciao Fiore! Meyer Lemon Risotto left over from the previous night’s service is formed into balls, coated with panko bread crumbs, and fried in canola oil. We need to watch our food costs so here we transform the day-old risotto into a delightful bar appetizer. Finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and a sprinkling of flower petal confetti make the presentation pop!
Meyer Lemon Arancini Recipe
Roll day-old meyer lemon risotto into golfball-sized balls. Coat with panko bread crumbs. Roll the ball between the palms again, smoothing the bread crumbs into the rice ball.
Carefully drop rice balls into hot canola oil. Cook until golden brown, then turn and cook until golden on the other side. The exterior should be crunchy while the interior is hot, creamy, and lemon-y. Remove to paper towels. Season with fine sea salt.
Meanwhile, pull petals from clean dry edible violas and geraniums.
Chop flower petals with a very sharp knife into confetti.
Grate Parmigiano–Reggiano over slightly cooled arancini.
Then sprinkle with flower petal confetti.
Happy. Hour.
Ciao Fiore lives on! Love the flower confetti!
These look to die for. Beautiful photos as well.
Colorful copped petals are absolutely gorgeous!!! I had these deep fried risotto balls at a restaurant once and I remember they were extremely delicious. I just remembered the taste. What a beautiful appetizer!
what a beautiful dish! just stunning!
Oh wow, what an impressive treat – I have had edible flowers a few times, but never in this form. Sounds intriguing and looks gorgeous 🙂
holy cow this looks fantastic. I love arancini. It’s never a leftover here 🙂
Wow! These are so pretty with the flowers scattered over the top! Yay for Ciao Fiore– happy hour just got happier!
OMG..these are really a treat…our restaurant lives on. Outstanding pictures…
Okay seriously, these would make me propose marriage to you if you made them for me. I’m sure hubs would understand. I mean look at these little masterpieces!
KB – you crack me up!
LL
These are just delightful and I love the floral touch, so pretty!
Beautiful. I am so afraid of deep frying, but you make me want to master this dish. I love how you put the flowers too.
Hi Angela – I know what you mean about deep frying. That’s why I only do small batches, and I only use enough oil to just come halfway up the arancini, and then I turn them over when the first side is golden, unlike others who submerge the balls completely in oil. (Uses half the amount of oil too).
LL
Have loved arancini since youth.. you’ve mastered it here and have made it soo beautiful too!
Love that you used the meyer lemon risotto. what a splendid flavor!
I love arancini and yours are so festive!
What a creative and delicious dish. I love the cooking with flowers idea, but who but you would have thought of chopping them into confetti? What a beautiful presentation. Have to steal this idea.
What a festive dish! I am almost about to take a bite on the computer screen. I love Italain risotto balls and this must be the pinnacle of its kind.
Great way to use leftover risotto. And colorful too!
It would be my happy hour biting into these little morsels!
Your creativity often astounds me! Confetti from flowers. So simple and so lively! GREG
Brilliant! Such a creative addition to simple and delicious arancini. When I was a kid I was convinced I could live on my Nana’s rice balls and rainbow-sprinkled Sicilian cookies forever…my absolute favorite foods. She would love your take on tradition! Many thanks for sharing. 🙂
Sounds scrumptious, and the flower confetti is a real stroke of genius. Brava!
I made arancini the other day and fell in love. I stuffed it with fontina. Oh lordddd. But I want to recreate them, as you have done here, as an elegant “tapas” for a bridal shower I am throwing next week. I’m toying with the idea of making them in advance, freezing them, and then reheating and plating at the party. Do you think they would lose any of their awesome powers if I did that?
Hi Kimmi – I am so excited that you are going to use my presentation for the party! In answer to your question, I have never frozen them, but Katherine Martinelli has, her recipe is here: http://www.katherinemartinelli.com/blog/2013/arancini-rice-balls-and-a-rice-blog-hop/ I definitely think she is a dependable resource. Good luck!
LL
Wonderful! I can’t wait to make this pretty presentation with such a wonderful treat!