Rice balls

Use freshly cooked, slightly warm short-grain rice; long-grain rice is too loose to bind well. Wet your hands, sprinkle them with a little salt, then press the rice firmly around the filling without crushing it.

For arancini, shape chilled risotto around a cube of mozzarella, coat each ball in flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs, then fry at about 170–180 °C until golden, usually 3–5 minutes. Drain on kitchen paper.

Cool cooked rice quickly, shape the balls and refrigerate them promptly in a covered container; eat them within 24 hours. Rice can become unsafe if left at room temperature for too long, so don’t leave rice balls out for a picnic all day.

For Japanese-style onigiri, try salted salmon, pickled plum or tuna mixed with mayonnaise, and wrap the finished ball in nori. Italian arancini are often filled with ragù, peas and mozzarella.

Yes, if it was cooled quickly and kept refrigerated. Cold rice may be too firm to shape, so warm it until just pliable; use it promptly, and reheat any cooked filling until steaming hot.

Onigiri are Japanese rice balls, usually shaped by hand from seasoned short-grain rice and often wrapped in nori; they are generally not fried. Arancini are Italian balls made with risotto, commonly breadcrumb-coated and fried.