Recipe
Oatmeal Arancini: A Sweet Twist on a Sicilian Classic
Arancini is a truly wonderful concept: leftover risotto balled around a savory filling and fried into an oozy and indulgent finger food makes for undoubtedly one of the best leftover makeovers of all time. Arancini originated in the Southern Italian island region of Sicily, which—on top of being the birthplace of such a wonderful dish—is also something of an Italian dessert capital. This recipe reconciles these two aspects of Sicilian heritage by attempting a sweet adaptation of the classic savory dish.
The idea for this recipe came to me after I noticed the profound textural similarity of steel-cut oatmeal to risotto. This similarity makes steel-cut oats the perfect sweet substitution for the risotto layer of this dessert-ified arancini. To replace the smooth cheese or ragu center of the traditional savory recipe, I opted for a cooled ganache, which brings a similar velvety richness to this sweet version of the dish. And finally, instead of traditional bread crumbs, these oatmeal arancini are breaded with graham cracker crumbs, giving the crispy fried exterior a uniquely sweet character.
Oatmeal Arancini
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 40 mins
- Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 cup steel-cut oats quick cooking if you can find them
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter separated
- 2.5 cups water
- 1 cup milk
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp brown sugar {or equivalent amount maple syrup/agave/other sweetener}
- Optional spices {e.g. cinnamon nutmeg milk powder etc.}
- 4 oz quality dark chocolate {If substituting semi-sweet or other less-dark chocolate reduce amount cream by a few tbsp for correct consistency}
- 2 oz heavy cream
- 1/4 c. vegetable oil {or other neutral oil}
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 additional cup milk
- 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
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While certainly not traditional, if you're a fan of the classic savory antipasto that is arancini, you should definitely give this sweet variation a try. Whether you're in the market for a high-concept dessert to impress your friends or you're looking to infuriate your Italian relatives by bastardizing a beloved classic, this is the recipe for you! Buon appetito!