Arancini Siciliani Al Ragù

600 g minced beef

150 g peas (shelled from about 450 g pea pods)

2 celery stalks

2 bunches of parsley (flat-leaf)

1 bunch of basil

2 onions

400 ml beef broth

200 ml white wine

140 g tomato paste

8 tbsp olive oil (extra virgin)

Salt

Chili powder

1400 g rice

500 g mozzarella

6 eggs

200 g breadcrumbs

8 tbsp butter

Salt

Olive oil (for frying)

Finely chop the onions and parsley. Dice the celery stalks very finely. Cut the veal initially into larger pieces. Given the quantity of ingredients, it is advisable to fry all ingredients separately (for smaller quantities, you may fry several ingredients together): First, fry the meat in a pan with a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper, remove from the pan and transfer to a large pot. Sauté the minced beef in the oiled pan, season with salt and pepper, break it up while frying, remove from the pan and transfer to the pot. Sauté the onions in an oiled pan until translucent, remove and also transfer to the pot.

Briefly fry the celery, remove from the pan and transfer to the pot.

Cut the now cooled meat into small pieces and add to the pot with half the parsley. Stir the pot's contents while heating and simmer for a few minutes, then deglaze with wine and continue to simmer for a bit.

Meanwhile, prepare beef broth, stir in the tomato paste, and add to the pot.

Add peas and mushrooms and let simmer uncovered at low to medium heat for about 40 minutes until the liquid evaporates (if liquid remains, pour the ragù through a sieve to drain excess liquid; otherwise, the arancini will be too wet and fall apart).

Once the liquid has evaporated, add chopped basil and the remaining parsley, season with salt and chili powder - the flavor should be quite strong, as the rice is not as intense in taste.

In a large pot, cook 1400 g of rice in 2400 ml of salted water at low temperature with the lid closed for about 20 minutes until al dente; stir frequently after the first 10 minutes!

Mix in 8 tbsp butter.

Let cool slightly, then mix in 6 beaten eggs (the eggs should not set).

To prepare for shaping the rice balls, use two soup plates: one with lukewarm water (to moisten hands), the other filled with breadcrumbs.

On the palm of a hand moistened with water, spread about 58 g of rice in a circle, place about 16 g (one and a half teaspoons) of ragù and 11 g of mozzarella in the center, then raise the rice around the edges and cover with another piece of rice to form a rice lump.

Press the rice lump firmly with your hands (to expel air and ensure the mixture sticks together well through the egg binding agent) and round between moistened hands; ideally, only rice is on the outside, with the ragù filling inside. Roll the rice ball in breadcrumbs.

Once all balls are formed (with the standard quantity, about 44 rice balls should be made), fry them in batches in the deep fryer at 170 °C for about 7 minutes - until the arancini have a nice orange color.

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