Sicilian Rice Balls Arancini Food

ARANCINI DI RISO: SICILIAN RICE BALLS

Steps:

• Make the risotto by adding the rice to the heated oil in a large saute pan, and stirring quickly for one or two minutes. Quickly add the white wine while stirring. With the heat on medium high, begin adding the chicken stock a little at a time, and continuously stirring, until all the stock has been used and the rice is cooked, yet still al dente (I have a risotto recipe here on my blog). Taste; adding salt if necessary. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
• Add an egg to the risotto and mix well, then refrigerate for a few hours, or overnight.
• To make the arancini:
• Place some rice in your hand and flatten it into your cupped hand, but don't make it too thin, or the filling will ooze out. Place a piece of mozzarella, and/or a little tomato sauce (and peas, if using) in the center of the cupped rice. Next, close the rice around the filling and shape into a ball.
• If you'd like to make conical shapes, flatten the bottom of the ball, and make the top more pointed.
• Now, roll the shaped arancini in flour, then roll them in the beaten egg, and finally the breadcrumbs. Set aside until all of the rice has been used.
• Heat some oil in a deep fryer, pot or wok until it is very hot. Add the arancini, and cook quickly, turning often so they don't brown too much on one side. If serving immediately, fry for a few minutes, so the cheese will melt in the center. Remove from oil and place on paper towel lined plate or tray. (If you'd like to serve them at a later time, remove them quickly after just browning; then, just before serving, place them on a baking sheet and re-heat in the oven at 400ºF for 5 to 10 minutes.)
• Serve plain, or place on tray with a little tomato sauce and garnish with basil. You can also serve them with a little extra sauce on the side, although this isn't done in Italy.

ARANCINI SICILIAN STYLE (SICILIAN RICE BALLS)

Steps:

• Wash rice and cook in 4 cups boiling, salted water until tender.
• Meanwhile, place chopped beef, chicken livers, oil, garlic and onion in saucepan and brown gently.
• Add mushrooms and cook 1 minute more.
• Add tomato paste and 1 cup warm water and cook 30 minutes.
• Add salt and pepper.
• Drain rice, add butter and grated cheese (Parmesan or Romano) and cool a bit.
• To this, add the egg yolks and the tomato gravy, holding aside the meat and mushrooms.
• Mix rice well.
• Make little balls of rice, place inside each ball some of the meat, liver, mushroom mixture.
• Dip rice balls into lightly beaten egg, roll in bread crumbs and fry in hot olive oil until golden brown all over.
• Can be served plain or with additional gravy.

ARANCINI DI RISO

Steps:

• Pour enough oil in a heavy large saucepan to reach the depth of 3 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat to 350 degrees F.
• Stir the eggs, risotto, Parmesan, and 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs in a large bowl to combine. Place the remaining breadcrumbs in a medium bowl. Using about 2 tablespoons of the risotto mixture for each, form the risotto mixture into 1 3/4-inch-diameter balls. Insert 1 cube of mozzarella into the center of each ball. Roll the balls in the bread crumbs to coat.
• Working in batches, add the rice balls to the hot ail and cook until brown and heated through, turning them as necessary, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the rice balls to paper towels to drain. Season with salt. Let rest 2 minutes. Serve hot.
• Bring the broth to a simmer in a heavy medium saucepan. Add the porcini mushrooms. Set aside until the mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes. Keep the broth warm over very low heat.
• Melt the butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the white mushrooms and garlic. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the porcini mushrooms to a cutting board. Finely chop the mushrooms and add to the saucepan. Saute until the mushrooms are tender and the juices evaporate, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice and let it toast for a few minutes. Add the wine; cook until the liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of hot broth; simmer over medium-low heat until the liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Continue to cook until the rice is just tender and the mixture is creamy, adding more broth by cupfuls and stirring often, about 28 minutes (the rice will absorb 6 to 8 cups of broth). Stir in the peas. Mix in the Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

SICILIAN RICE BALLS (ARANCINI)

Steps:

• 1. Before starting meat mixture you may want to start you rice cooking. Now MAKE MEAT MIXTURE: Combine raw meat with salt and pepper, garlic powder and basil. It is optional to add tomato paste, I prefer it. Add grated cheese and blend. Brown meat over medium flame, add onion, cook til transparent. Set aside to cool.
• 2. MAKE RICE MIXTURE: Cook rice in 2 quarts salted boiling water until kernels crush easily between thumb and finger. Make sure they are not kernelly tasting, but not mushy either. HINT: Sometimes a slightly less than a 2:1 ratio for cooking the rice helps. Just make sure they can crush easily between thumb and finger. Drain water from rice if any left.
• 3. Add butter, cheese and 2 beaten eggs to rice mixture. You may want to taste the mixture to determine if more salt is needed. Mix well and let cool in refrigerator. If it is too hot you will burn your hands.
• 4. PREPARATION OF RICE BALL: Prepare a pie pan of italian bread crumbs I add some pecorino romano and parsley flakes to the bread crumbs, but it is optional. In another pie pan or bowl place well beaten eggs.
• 5. PREPARE YOUR STATION: Rice Mixture, Meat Mixture, egg mixture and then Bread crumbs. Now place 2 tbsp (more or less) of rice mixture in palm of hand. Make a well of rice and put in some meat mixture.
• 6. Mold the rice around the meat mixture to form a ball. If you misjudge and can't close over the meat mixture, add a small amount of rice mixture and press firmly to make the ball.
• 7. Dip the rice balls in the beaten eggs and then roll in the bread crumbs. Again press firmly.
• 8. Fry in deep hot oil until golden brown on all sides. You can use a fry pan, but it is much easier to use a deep fat fryer. Do not fry more than 3 at a time. Remove balls with slotted sppon and drain on absorbent paper. Service hot!
• 9. This will make about 20 to 30 rice balls, more or less, depending on how big you make the rice ball. I believe that eating them fresh out of the fryer is better! Hot and Crispy! Mangia!

ARANCINI (ITALIAN RICE BALLS)

Steps:

• In large saucepan, combine rice, broth, and butter or margarine. Bring to a boil, stir to blend. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool. Stir in egg yolks and parmesan.
• In small bowl, beat egg whites until frothy; set aside.
• Cover and freeze rice mixture for 15 minutes to make them firmer to handle; roll them with your hands to form balls. Push a small cube of mozzarella into center of each arancini, lightly pressing to seal each ball. Roll each arancini in beaten egg whites, then coat with bread crumbs.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees (about 200 degrees Celsius). Heat oil in heavy skillet. Cook 8 rice balls at a time, about 4-5 minutes, turning frequently, to brown evenly. Place on baking sheet; bake for 10 minutes.
• Serve with your favorite spaghetti sauce, to which you have added 3/4 cup to 1 cup of frozen green peas, uncooked.

ARANCINI SICILIANI DI CASA

Steps:

• boil the rice until soft and cooked, add the teaspoon of salt whilst cooking.
• Drain the rice when cooked and leave to cool and set. When the rice is wet or damp, it will more difficult to form shapes. It is recommended to leave the rice overnight, covered with clingfilm, however the longer you leave it, the better.
• Once you have left the rice to cool and set, take the bowl of rice and add the tbsp of salt and tbsp of pepper and mix.
• After this, add the sachet of saffron or turmeric which you'll notice will turn the rice to a pale yellow colour. This is not essential, however it does add to presentation.
• Once you have mixed this all together, then you can begin whisking the eggs in a seperate dish. After that, fill a pot with all the oil and heat until boiling.
• take a handful of rice from the bowl and create a ball shape in your hands. slowly and gently begin to form a hole from the top of the ball in to the middle. the size of the hole depends on how much filling you want it to contain.
• once filled, close the hole and make sure it is sealed by pressing the rice together firmly. Now roll in the beaten egg and coat with the bread crumbs
• Your arancini is now ready to cook. Place into the boiling hot oil and fry until golden brown. then remove and place on a series of napkins to absorb the excess oil. Repeat this for the rest of the arancinis and you're now ready to embrace the Sicilian culture!