Crunchy, creamy, cheesy. All the C words!! Leftover risotto (if there is such a thing) is formed into little balls and stuffed with a mozzarella surprise, then coated in breadcrumbs and deep fried. These little Italian morsels are as tasty as they are ingenious. Bellissimo!
Set up your breading station:Bowl 1: FlourBowl 2: EggBowl 3: Breadcrumbs
Take a small amount of the cold risotto and roll into a ball about the size of a ping pong ball. Press a finger into the centre to make an indent. Place a cube of mozzarella into the hole then carefully resmooth the risotto over the cheese and then roll back into a ball. Set aside while you repeat the process to use up all the risotto.
Add a risotto ball to the flour and roll around to coat. Take out and jigge a little to knock off the excess flour. Dip the Supplì into the egg and toss around to coat. Shake off the exess egg and then dip into the breadcrumbs. Toss around carefully to fully coat the Supplì then set aside on a plate.Repeat this process with all the Supplì balls.
Heat around 2" (5cm) of canola oil over a moderate heat until around 350ºf (170ºc).Using a slotted spoon or spider spoon, lower a few Supplì into the oil. 4-5 at a time will ensure the oil stays hot. If you put too many in at once, the oil will lose heat and you'll end up with greasy Supplì.Deep fry the Supplì (moving them around freuqntly) for 4-5 minutes until browned. Remove and rest on paper towels while you cook the remaining Supplì.That's it! Serve them hot with a sauce or at room temperature.
If you're reheating, heat an oven to 400ºf/200ºc and warm through for 5-10 minutes on a sheet pan.
Video
Notes
Making in advance
You can prepare supplì in advance and stop before deep frying. Then, you can either refrigerate (covered) until you’re ready or freeze until ready. To freeze, arrange in a single layer on a tray and freeze until solid. Then tip into a bag – the pre-freeze will help avoid them sticking together. Defrost thoroughly before frying.
You can make in advance by cooking completely and then either eat at room temperature or cook in a hot oven (200ºC/400ºF) for 5-10 minutes.
Ingredient Substitutions
The ingredients can differ wildly depending on what risotto you decide to make. Keep the risotto ingredients small (i.e. no big chunks of sausage or vegetables). My favourite risotto varieties are pea, mushroom, asparagus, beetroot, fennel, saffron and good old plain risotto.
The stuffing can vary too. My go to cheeses are mozzarella (look out for smoked mozzarella too), scarmoza, taleggio, fontina and gorgonzola.
Serving suggestions
I like to serve my supplì at parties as a snack, antipasti or appetiser. I’ll often serve it with a simple dipping sauce, like a plain tomato marinara sauce or sometimes a delicious creamy homemade aioli (garlic mayonnaise).
I like to serve mine hot, but room temperature are good too.
Storage
Fridge: Once cooked, leftovers will stay fresh for 2-3 days in the fridge.
Fridge: Pre-prepared (before cooking) will stay fresh for 2 days in the fridge.
Freezer: Pre-prepared (before cooking) will stay fresh for 3+ months in the freezer. Defrost thoroughly before cooking.