Pour the chicken stock in a pan along with the saffron strands and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Then, keep it warm as you prepare the risotto.

In a skillet at medium heat, add the butter and oil. Once it melts, add the garlic and stir around for 1 minute.

Scatter the red onion along with the salt and keep stirring around for 2 minutes. Add the arborio rice and stir it around for 2 minutes. Ladle a little bit of the stock and give it a stir. Once the water almost gets absorbed, ladle some more of the stock and keep stirring. Continue adding the stock in intervals as you cook the risotto to al dente. Finally, add the Parmesan cheese and give it a mix. Taste for salt and add any, if needed.

Let the risotto cool down to room temperature before you start making the arancini.

Once the risotto has cooled down completely, crack an egg into it along with ½ cup breadcrumbs and give it a mix.

Prepare the shrimp by removing the head and tail, de-vein it and then roughly chop it in very tiny bite size pieces.

Take ¼ cup of the risotto and flatten it on your palm. Place few of the chopped shrimp pieces and close the edges to form a risotto ball. Shape rest of the risotto the same way. It will make 13 shrimp arancini.

Take three medium size bowls. In one bowl, add the flour. Crack the egg in the second bowl and whisk it with a little water. In the third bowl, add the breadcrumbs and mix it with a pinch of salt.

Place a pan at medium heat and pour enough oil to deep fry the arancini. Drop one risotto ball in the flour bowl, coat it with egg and finally with the breadcrumbs. Drop it very carefully into the hot oil. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes rotating every now and then so you get golden brown color all around.

Serve the shrimp arancini warm with your choice of dipping sauce.