Riceballs
Submitted by platinum pool
Italian arancini-style rice balls stuffed with seasoned meat, peas, and mozzarella, coated in egg and breadcrumbs and deep-fried until golden. A classic Sicilian street food.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
55 minCOOK
5 minREADY
60 minArancini, the deep-fried stuffed rice balls of Sicily, are one of the greatest street foods in the world. Crack through that golden breadcrumb shell and you hit seasoned rice wrapped around a core of meat ragu, tender peas, and a melting chunk of mozzarella that stretches when you pull the halves apart.
The rice cooks al dente and slightly sticky, which is critical. Too dry and the balls fall apart during frying. Too soft and they turn to mush. Cooling the rice to room temperature before mixing with beaten eggs and grated cheese makes it moldable enough to shape around the filling without sticking to your hands (keep them wet).
The meat filling cooks down with onion, garlic powder, tomato sauce, and peas until the liquid evaporates. You want the filling dry enough that it doesn’t make the rice soggy from the inside. A half tablespoon per ball doesn’t sound like much, but the mozzarella chunk alongside it means each bite has three distinct textures: crunchy shell, creamy rice, and gooey melted cheese.
Chef Tips
- Wet your hands before shaping each ball. Sticky rice won’t cooperate with dry hands.
- Make sure the mozzarella chunks are small enough to be fully enclosed. Exposed cheese leaks out during frying and burns.
- Fry at 360°F and don’t crowd the fryer. Too many balls at once drops the temperature and makes them greasy instead of crisp.
- Turn them frequently during the 5-minute fry so they brown evenly on all sides.
Variations
- Use ragù Bolognese as the filling instead of plain seasoned meat for a richer, more traditional Sicilian version.
- Skip the meat entirely and stuff with just mozzarella and a spoonful of marinara for a vegetarian arancini.
- Add a pinch of saffron to the rice while cooking for the classic golden color and floral flavor.
Ingredients
Directions
Wash and drain rice.
Boil water in saucepan over high heat.
Add the drained rice and bring to a boil.
Stir once, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente and slightly sticky, about 17 minutes.
Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.
Add the onion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the chopped meat and seasoning and sauté until the meat just loses its raw color, about 5 minutes longer.
Add the tomato sauce and peas and cook until the liquid evaporates and the peas are just tender, about 10 minutes longer for fresh peas, or about 5 minutes for thawed.
In a mixing bowl, beat 2 of the eggs. Add the cooled rice and the grated cheese and seasonings.
Scoop about 3 Tbl of the rice mixture into the palm of one hand (wet hands first) and press it out to form an even round.
Place about ½ Tbl of the meat mixture and one small chunk mozzarella in the center of the patty, then gently close your hand to encase the filling in the rice.
Use both hands to roll the stuffed rice into a ball.
Continue making balls until all ingredients are used.
Beat the remaining 1 to 2 eggs in a small bowl and pour the bread crumbs into a small bowl.
Roll each rice ball in the egg to coat completely, then roll in the bread crumbs to cover well.
Set aside until all balls are coated.
Pour oil in a deep fryer or saucepan to a depth of 4 inches.
Heat to 360F.
Carefully drop the rice balls, a few at a time, into oil and fry, turning frequently, until golden brown all around, about 5 minutes.
With a slotted utensil, transfer to paper toweling to drain.
If desired, place in a low oven to keep warm until all are cooked.
Serve warm.
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