Makes about 10

It’s best to cook the rice the day before you want to use it. Once it has cooled, keep it in the fridge.

- 6¾ cups fish stock or water
- 2¹/₃ cups arborio rice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- A pinch of good-quality saffron threads (about 15)
- 2 ounces pecorino cheese (½ cup plus 2 tablespoons grated)
- About 2 pounds fine breadcrumbs
- Vegetable oil for deep frying

For the filling:
- 5 plum tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- ½ medium onion, finely chopped
- ½ pound mixture of small pieces of whitefish (swordfish, if you can find it, otherwise cod or haddock), pieces of cleaned squid or cuttlefish. and small shrimp (or chopped larger ones)
- 4 ounces dry white wine

For the pastella:
- 3½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 egg

Bring the stock or water to the boil in a pan, add the rice, salt and saffron, bring back to the boil and cook very slowly for at least 15 minutes, until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from the heat, leave to rest for a minute, then quickly beat in the pecorino. Set aside to cool completely.

Prepare the filling: put the tomatoes into a pan of boiling water for 10 seconds, then drain them under cold water and you should be able to peel them easily. Cut them in half, scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon and chop the flesh.

Heat the olive oil in a large pan and cook the garlic and onion gently, until softened but not colored. Add the seafood—the pieces of fish first, then the squid and last the shrimp. Stir until the shrimp change color. Pour in the white wine and let it bubble up to let the alcohol evaporate, then add the tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes. The mixture should be soft but notsoupy. If it is a bit too liquid, cook for a little longer, to reduce and thicken it. Remove from the heat, then crush the fish lightly with a fork. Leave to cool.

To make the pastella, beat the flour, egg and water in a bowl. Have the bread crumbs ready in a separate shallow bowl. Wet your hands to stop the rice from sticking, then take a tangerine-size ball of rice mixture and press your thumb in the center to make a hollow. Spoon in a little of the seafood filling, then close the rice around it and form it into a ball. Dip each one into the pastellaand then into the bread crumbs, making sure they are completely covered in crumbs and pressing them lightly, to make sure the crumbs cling.

Heat around 3 inches of vegetable oil in a large pan, making sure the oil doesn’t come any higher than a third of the way up the pan. The oil must be hot, but not smoking, before you add the arancini (if you have a thermometer it should be around 340°F, otherwise test it by putting in a few bread crumbs—if they sizzle gently the oil is ready). Working in batches (being careful not to crowd the pan or you will lower the temperature of the oil), fry the arancini for about 4–5 minutes, moving them around until they are golden all over. Drain well on paper towels and serve hot.