1. Peel the onion and garlic and chop very finely. Add the butter to a large pan or large pot and sauté the onion until soft and glossy. Add the rice and sauté briefly. Deglaze with the white wine and let the wine boil away almost completely. Reduce the heat and gradually add the warm veggie broth to the rice. The rice should always be slightly covered with the broth. Let the risotto simmer according to the packet instructions, stirring constantly – my rice needed about 45 minutes. Wholegrain risotto rice takes a little longer than normal risotto rice. When all the liquid has been absorbed by the rice, the rice should still have a little bite. Stir in the grated Parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Let cool down completely. You can prepare the risotto rice a day in advance and then store it in the fridge.

2. When ready to prepare the Arancini, loosen the rice slightly if it sticks together. Add the eggs and mix well. There are two ways to shape the Arancini – you can either do it by hand or with an Arancini maker*. Both ways are similarly easy. If you want to make them by hand, wet your hands slightly, add some rice to the palm of your hand, and shape it into a ball. Press a well into the rice with your thumb and add about 1 tbsp of ragù to the well. Add some more rice on top and shape it into a large egg with a very pointy tip. The Arancini Maker will create quite large Arancini – if you do them by hand you have more control over the size ;) Place the Arancini on a plate and cover. Place in the fridge for about 1 hour.

3. Set up a breading line with three bowls – one for the flour, one for the two (beaten) eggs, and one bowl for the Panko or breadcrumbs. Carefully roll the cooled Arancini first in the flour, then in the eggs, and finally in the breadcrumbs. Set aside on a plate.

4. Add oil to a (small) pot and heat up. The pot should be big enough to fit 2-3 Arancini and the oil should be high enough, so the Arancini can swim freely. I always use a smaller pot and only deep-fry two Arancini at a time. Heat the oil to a temperature of about 350°F (180°C) and deep-fry the Arancini until golden brown – this takes only a few minutes. Be careful not to let the temperature of the oil drop too much, or the rice balls will soak up the oil. Remove the nicely browned Arancini from the oil with a slotted spoon and let them drain on a plate with kitchen paper. Repeat until all Arancini are deep-fried. Serve the Arancini still warm with some salad or antipasti.