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.
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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.
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.
I love arancini and yours are so festive!
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!
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