Arancini are crisp on the outside and moist inside — with ragù and mozzarella they are a Sicilian classic. The following instructions are carefully prepared and use the quantities given below. Tip: the recipe yields a generous amount and can be easily halved.
Ingredients
For the ragù
- 600 g minced beef
- 150 g peas (shelled from approx. 450 g pea pods)
- 2 sticks celery
- 2 bunches flat-leaf parsley
- 1 bunch basil
- 2 onions
- 400 ml beef stock
- 200 ml white wine
- 140 g tomato purée
- 8 tbsp olive oil (extra virgin)
- salt
- peperoncino (powder)
For the rice, filling and coating
- 1400 g rice
- 500 g mozzarella
- 6 eggs
- 200 g breadcrumbs
- 8 tbsp butter
- salt
- olive oil (for frying)
Preparation
1) Cook the ragù
- Finely chop the onions and parsley. Dice the celery very small.
- In a frying pan with a little olive oil, brown the minced beef well, season with salt and pepper and break it up. Transfer to a large pot.
- Sweat the onions in a little olive oil until translucent and add to the meat. Briefly fry the celery and add that to the pot as well.
- Add half the parsley, heat while stirring, simmer briefly, then deglaze with the white wine and reduce slightly.
- Prepare the stock, stir in the tomato purée and add to the pot. Scatter in the peas and simmer uncovered over low to medium heat for approx. 40 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated. If liquid remains, put the ragù into a sieve and drain off the excess — otherwise the arancini will be too soft.
- Finish with finely chopped basil and the remaining parsley. Season generously with salt and peperoncino.
2) Cook the rice
- Bring 2400 ml salted water to the boil in a large pot. Add 1400 g rice, cover and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes until al dente; stir more often after the first 10 minutes.
- Stir in 8 tbsp butter. Let cool slightly, then fold in 6 beaten eggs (the eggs must not set).
3) Shape
- Prepare two soup plates: one with lukewarm water (to wet your hands) and one with breadcrumbs.
- For each ball, spread about 58 g rice flat and circular on the wet palm. Place approx. 16 g ragù and 11 g mozzarella in the centre. Fold the rice edges up and seal with a little rice.
- Press the rice mass firmly together (to remove air so the mixture binds well) and shape into a ball; ideally only rice should be visible on the outside. Roll in breadcrumbs.
- The total yield is about 44 rice balls.
4) Frying
- Fry the arancini in batches in hot oil at 170 °C for about 7 minutes, until golden to lightly orange. Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot.
Tips & Notes
- The ragù should be as dry as possible. Be sure to drain any excess liquid — this helps the arancini keep their shape and bite.
- Keep your hands moist while shaping so the rice sticks less.
- For larger gatherings or buffets, briefly keep the freshly fried Arancini warm in a conventional oven just before serving. In an outdoor kitchen, a pizza oven keeps dishes well warmed.
- The recipe makes a substantial quantity and can be halved if required.
Source
Adapted from: Arancini di riso – Sicilian rice balls | authentisch-italienisch-kochen.de
