ARANCINI DI RISO
This is a very typical southern Italy recipe, the name is controversial, some say arancini and some say arancine, and depending on the part of Sicily where they come from they can be rounded like a ball or with a point (like Montalbano ones). The proceeding is basically the same.
This is of course the EPRONTO version.
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History of Recipe
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What is the first thing that comes to chef Francesca’s mind when thinking about Arancini? Montalbano, of course!!! And the beautiful Sicilia!
This is a very typical southern Italy recipe, the name is controversial, some say arancini and some say arancine, and depending on the part of Sicily where they come from they can be rounded like a ball or with a point (like Montalbano ones).
Have you ever read some Montalbano books? In Chef Francesca’s mind these books are wonderful! They are written in a weird language thou, which mixes a perfect Italian language with some sicilian dialect words, and the music of the sicilian accent… first pages are really hard to read and to understand when you are from a different part of Italy, but once you understand the trick, and the reader gets used to the language, it all becomes comprehensible and fascinating! Our Chef loves Montalbano books, she even has some in English (not the same feeling thou).
Chef Francesca is not from Sicily, she comes from Padua, Veneto, quite far from there, but our Chef has been to Sicily many times, and of course she had Arancini. The Chef has a special memory, from very long ago, of a wonderful patisserie in Siracusa, where she had an incredible Arancino… still in her memory after all these years! (and a cannolo as well…)
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Arancini are, as EPRONTO ragu` is, a matter of love. They take time to be made, patience and some skills. Women in Southern Italy were used to spending the whole day in the kitchen, so such a masterpiece could be done: time, patience and love.
Truth to be told, in Sicily they sell a specific device to make arancini with no effort and no risk of having them irregular….with or without the point!
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No product
This is of course the EPRONTO version, which saves you a lot of time! At the hearth of Arancini there is some ragu. In Sicily it has a specific recipe, but EPRONTO bolognese ragu` is an excellent substitute for it, and you can save hours of hard work, with an outstanding result.
Why not try them with Venison or Lamb ragu, just to make something more original? After all, we are not in Sicily…
INGREDIENTS
Serves 4 portions
Short grain rice 300 grams
Water
salt
Saffron (1 pinch)
25 grams butter
1 tbsp grated Parmigiano
1 jar 250 grams of your favourite EPRONTO ragu`
Some frozen peas
1 mozzarella cheese
2 Eggs
Breadcrumbs
Flour
Frying oil (vegetable oil)
Frying pan
Perfect For
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A quick nutritious and delicious snack or as a starter for a delicious dinner.
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You can eat them with:
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Potatoes Rosemary and Parmesan Wedges.
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Minestrone with Garlic Rolls. .
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Mixed Salad
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Grilled Polenta
Instructions
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Cook the rice in boiling water, salty (10 grams salt per litre of water). For a better colour it is possible to add a pinch of saffron to the water. When rice is cooked and tender, drain it, season with 25 grams butter and 1 tbsp of grated Parmigiano, then spread the rice onto a work surface as thin as possible and let it cool completely.
In the meantime, reheat your favourite EPRONTO ragu` to thicken it, stirring often to avoid burning.
Cut mozzarella into pieces and set it aside, possibly in a colander to dry.
Take the frozen peas out the freezer and leave, leave 2 tbsps aside, they defrost very quickly.
Wet your hands, take a part of spreaded rice as big as your hand, put a spoonful or ragu, some peas and some mozzarella, then add on top another piece of flattened rice (it should be a bit gluey), and with both hands close tightly to a ball.
(The first time it is a bit tricky)
Set it aside in a plate, continue until ingredients last.
In a deep fryer or in a deep pan heat some frying oil until 180 degrees.
While the oil is heating, coat arancini:
In a plate beat 2 eggs with a pinch of salt, in another plate or on some kitchen paper, pour some flour and in another some breadcrumbs. Roll each ball in flour, then in eggs and last in breadcrumbs, let them adhere to the surface.
The oil is ready when a cube of day old bread turns brown in 30 seconds, or when dipping a wooden spoon handle lots of small balls come out. Deep fry until golden.
Drain on kitchen paper and serve.
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Useful items
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Ceramic plates,
deep frying pan,
spoons,
kitchen paper,
large oven dish or silicone mat,
colander
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Did you try this recipe?
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Post a picture of your creation on instagram and tag us @eprontoragu