Arancini are Sicilian rice balls — risotto cooled and bound, stuffed with cheese or meat ragù, breaded, and fried golden. They are bar food in Palermo and they are technically demanding everywhere else.
Elizabeth Binder is a Top Chef: Seattle alum who now runs Hand-Crafted Catering, a private chef and boutique catering operation in Napa Valley. She brought arancini to Bobby's kitchen in 2020. The technique is in two stages: the risotto has to be cooked, cooled to fridge-cold, and bound with egg and breadcrumb so it holds its ball shape; the fry has to be 350°F so the breading crisps before the inside overcooks. The cheese center has to be cold-stuffed deep into the ball so it doesn't leak.
Bobby's risotto, per the broadcast, was too warm when he formed the balls. The arancini fell apart in the oil.