Arancini are delicious, crispy, deep fried Sicilian balls of rice. They have a rich tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese filling and a super crunchy breadcrumb coating.
SERVES: 4
TIME: 3 HOURS
INGREDIENTS
RISOTTO:
3 tbsp Olive oil
120ml White wine
850ml Chicken or vegetable stock
salt
1 egg
450g Arborio rice
FILLING:
400g tinned Plum Tomatoes
1 Garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tbsp Olive oil
120g mozzarella, cut into 2cm cubes
BREADING:
Plain flour
2 Eggs, beaten
Breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil, for frying
FOR SERVING:
basil leaves, for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat 3 tbsp of olive oil in a saucepan add the rice to the heated oil, stirring quickly for one to two minutes. Add the white wine and continue to stir until the wine reduces by half. With the heat on medium high, begin adding the chicken stock a little at a time, continuously stirring, until all the stock has been used and the rice is cooked, yet still al dente. add salt to taste. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Once the risotto is completely cool, add an egg and mix well, then refrigerate for a few hours, or overnight.
Add 1 tbsp of olive oil in a small saucepan on low heat, saute the clove of garlic for 30 seconds to 1 minute until it becomes slightly translucent, add in the tin of plum tomatoes and simmer for 1 hour, until the tomatoes have broken down and sauce has become really thick. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Place a small handful of the risotto mix into your hand and flatten it out into a disc, try not to make it too thin, or the filling will burst out during frying. Place a piece of mozzarella, and a little tomato sauce in the center of the rice disc. Next, close the rice around the filling and shape into a ball.
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 or pot to 190C. 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 200C for 5 to 10 minutes.)
Serve plain, or place on tray with a little of the leftover tomato sauce and garnish with basil.
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