Fried rice balls, arancini, may not sound very interesting, but the folks in Sicily turned this simple idea into something pretty wonderful. Arancini are made with leftover risotto, formed into balls, and stuffed with almost anything you might think of, and then fried crispy brown, so that they look like little oranges, thus the name, arancini and they are a delight.
The first one I had in an Italian café many years ago was filled with a little piece of pork and a little marinara sauce. Wow! A classic stuffing is ham, sweet peas, parmesan and mozzarella, but this is a dish that is made for leftovers. Fried ground beef (or pork) with onions, garlic and jalapenos, almost any good melting cheese you can think of (Gruyere, Swiss, Havarti. Fontina, you name it!), or left over veggies, like artichoke, spinach or even okra.
But I have never seen them on Italian menus in the US, so I decided, after many years, to give it a go and make some myself. It’s a little bit intimidation, and it can be quite a production, but if you take your time, and take it step by step, it’s a breeze.
Make two cups of risotto, I like to use stock, not water. And when done, it takes only about 20 minutes, spread the risotto out on a countertop and allow it to cool. The most immediate problem is getting the rice balls to stay together, but that is solved by adding two egg yolks and a little grated parmesan and mixing very well. The first time I tried it, I forgot to season the rice, and they were pretty bland. On my second go, I added lots of Tony’s, freshly ground black pepper and I very good quality Italian seasoning (Gustus Vita is my favorite brand of seasonings. You might also like to add diced jalapenos, onions and garlic.
Now comes the messy part, fill a one half cup measuring cup and fill it with rice, tap it out into your hands and form it into a tight ball. Really apply some pressure, or they will fall apart. Next take your thumb and make a deep indentation in the ball, add the stuffing, cover it up, and reform the ball, again applying quite a bit of pressure. Now simply roll the balls is egg yolk, and then into Italian breadcrumbs. You want a pretty heavy coating. Now drop a few at a time into a deep fryer (300 f) and cook until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and you are ready to go. Arancini are good right out of the fryer, but also good served cold. A little sprinkle of salt helps too. As I mentioned before, they are best when served with a good home-made marinara sauce for dipping. Arancini are great for an appetizer, or a main course. Roll up your sleeves and give it a try!