Italian Rice Balls

Arancini means “little orange” in Italian, and these delicious little fried balls of savory goodness will have you begging for just one more.  The very first time I ever had arancini was in Sicily, where they originate, and I was hooked! I made these with a ragu of ground meat, tomato sauce and peas although you can pretty much fill them with whatever you can imagine.

I’ve only made arancini a few times since the preparation can really take some time (so be prepared), especially if you want to get them just right.  It’s definitely worth the effort and are a great way to treat your friends. This recipe is from one of my favorite Joyce Goldstein cookbooks I mentioned in a previous post – Mediterranean The Beautiful. 

Ingredients

• 6 cups of water
  
• 3 cups Arborio (risott0) rice
  
• 2 eggs
  
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  
• salt and pepper
  
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
  
• 1 onion, shopped
  
• 1/2 lb ground beef or veal
  
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
  
• 1 cup tomato sauce
  
• 1 cup shelled peas, blanched for 30 seconds and drained (or frozen)
  
• freshly grated nutmeg
  
• 1 cup all purpose flour
  
• 3 eggs
  
• 2 cups bread crumbs
  
• vegetable oil for deep frying

Method

1. In the saucepan bring the water to a boil. Add the rice, cover, reduce the heat to low and cook until the water has been absorbed, 15-20 minutes. The rice should be al dente but cooked through and still a little sticky. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, and the cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread out on a baking sheet, cover and refrigerate to cool.
   
   
2. Meanwhile, in a saute pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and saute until tender and translucent, 8-10 minutes. Add the meat and stir, breaking it up, until it browns, just a few minutes. Add the tomato paste and wine and simmer for 5 minutes. Then add the tomato sauce and simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the blanched peas. Season to taste with salt, pepper and a little nutmeg. Let cool to room temperature.   

3. To make the rice balls, put the flour in a shallow bowl. Break the eggs into another shallow bowl and beat lightly with a little water. Place the bread crumbs in a third shallow bowl.   

4. You can make the rice balls small or make them the size of 3-in oranges. Put a few spoonfuls of rice in the palm of your hand and make an indentation in the center with your finger, to form a pocket. Slip a spoonful of filling into the pocket and then “fold” the rice over the filling. Roll the rice into a nicely shaped ball. Then roll the ball in the flour, dip it in the beaten egg, and then roll it in the bread crumbs. Set on a wire rack. Repeat until you have used up all of the rice and filling.
    
   
   
5. Pour oil into a deep saute pan to a depth of 3-in and heat to 375 degrees, or until a rice ball dropped into oil begins to color within moments. When the oil is ready, deep fry the rice balls, a  few at a time, until they are golden, 4-5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon remove to paper towels to drain briefly, and repeat until all of the rice balls are cooked.
      

    

6. Arrange on a warmed platter and serve at once.