Arancini with Red Rice, Feta, and Olives

Sure, arancini with red rice, feta, and olives are a tasty variation on the classic Sicilian arancini recipe, which turn out flavorful and colorful thanks to the use of red rice and Mediterranean ingredients. Here is a recipe to prepare them:

Ingredients

• 250 g red rice
• 500 ml vegetable broth
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 150 g feta, crumbled
• 100 g pitted black olives, chopped
• 2 eggs
• 100 g breadcrumbs
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Seed oil for frying

Preparation

1. In a pot, sauté the chopped onion with a drizzle of oil until it becomes translucent.
2. Add the red rice and toast for a couple of minutes.
3. Pour in the hot vegetable broth a little at a time, cooking the rice and adding more broth as it is absorbed, until the rice is fully cooked (following the cooking time indicated on the red rice package, which is usually longer than white rice).
4. Once cooked, let the rice cool, then mix in the crumbled feta and chopped olives, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Form balls with the rice mixture and press in the center to optionally insert some extra feta or a whole olive.
6. Dip each arancino first in the beaten egg and then in the breadcrumbs to coat them well.
7. In a pan, heat plenty of seed oil and fry the arancini until golden on all sides.
8. Drain the arancini on paper towels to remove excess oil before serving.

You can serve these arancini as an appetizer or as a hunger-busting snack. The special quality of red rice, besides its flavor, also lies in its nutritional properties, as it is rich in fiber and antioxidants.

Trivia

Arancini are traditionally a typical Sicilian preparation and are made with white rice. This version with red rice, feta, and olives is a modern invention that marries the flavors of Greek Mediterranean cuisine with the Sicilian tradition of fried arancini.