Arancini

Arancini are a specialty of Sicilian cuisine, a delicious example of street food that has conquered all of Italy. They are breaded and fried rice spheres, whose filling can vary from ragù to ham and mozzarella, up to more modern variants. Here is the classic recipe for arancino with ragù.

Ingredients

• 500 g risotto rice (such as arborio or carnaroli)
• 200 g ground meat (beef or a mix of beef and pork)
• 100 g frozen peas
• 1 small onion
• 500 ml tomato passata
• 1 carrot
• 1 celery stalk
• 150 g mozzarella
• 100 g grated Parmesan
• 2 eggs
• Saffron
• 1 liter vegetable broth
• Breadcrumbs
• Flour
• Oil for frying
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Start by preparing the risotto: heat the vegetable broth and in a separate pot toast the rice without any fat. When the grains become translucent, start moistening with the hot broth, adding a ladle at a time until absorbed, as for a normal risotto. Halfway through cooking, add the saffron dissolved in a little broth to give color and flavor.
2. Once the risotto is ready, remove it from the heat and let it cool on a flat surface. Add one egg and the grated Parmesan, then mix to combine everything.
3. For the ragù, sauté the chopped onion with carrot and celery. Then add the ground meat and let it brown. Pour in the tomato passata, salt, pepper and simmer your ragù over low heat for about an hour, adding the peas toward the end.
4. Take a handful of risotto, flatten it on the palm of your hand to form a kind of cup and place a teaspoon of ragù and a piece of mozzarella in the center. Close the arancino giving it the classic round or slightly oval shape, trying to seal the filling well inside.
5. Prepare a batter by mixing flour and cold water until you obtain a smooth and homogeneous mixture. Dip the arancini in the batter, then coat them in breadcrumbs until completely covered.
6. Fry the arancini in plenty of hot oil until golden and crispy.
7. Drain the arancini on paper towels to remove excess oil and serve hot.

Trivia

The name “arancini” derives from their shape and their golden color after frying, which resembles that of oranges. In some areas of Sicily, depending on the shape, they are also called “arancine”.