Arancini ala Sicilian(Sicilian Rice Croquettes)

I modified the recipe from The Silver Spoon (The Bible of Authentic Italian Cooking)

Y : 10 rice balls

For the Rice:
2 cups Arborio rice or short grain rice (washed once)
1 med sweet onions, finely minced
¼ cup butter
4 cups chicken broth
2 T parmesan cheese, freshly grated

** The recipe didn't call for salt but i suggest you add salt at this point. Mine needed salt so had to serve marinara sauce on the side to enhance the flavor

For the Ragu:
4 slices of pancetta
1 med. sweet onion, minced
1 med. carrot, minced
1 celery stick, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup ground beef
2 T tomato paste
½ cup dry white wine
2 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper
½ cup green peas (optional)
Mozzarella cheese ( i used bocconcini)

Breading station:
1 cup flour
1 cup breadcrumbs (I used panko/Japanese breadcrumbs)
2 eggs beaten with little milk or water.

Rice:Fry the minced onion until translucent, then add the uncooked rice. Stir for few minutes.

Add the broth and a teaspoon of salt and pepper, leaving it uncovered until cooked. Watch the rice from time to time so no rice will stick to the bottom of the pot.

Let the rice cool.

Add the grated parmesan cheese and butter into the cooled rice.


Ragu (Fillings)
Fry pancetta until crisp, cut into small pieces.

Using pancetta drippings, fry minced onions and garlic until soft.

Add the bay leaf, thyme and S&P then

Add the meat and mix until it turns brown.

When all meat has been browned, add tomato paste, minced carrot and celery and fry for 5 more minutes.

Pour the wine and let cook for another 5 minutes or until alcohol has evaporated.

Cover and leave to cook on low heat for at least an hour or until all liquid has evaporated and cooked. Let cool.

Shape the cooked rice into croquettes as large as a small orange hence the name arancini w/c means little oranges in Sicily.

Make an indention and fill with a little ragu and cubed mozzarella and seal with more rice.

Dip the croquettes in the following order: Flour, Eggs, Breadcrumbs. Shake off any excess.

Heat oil in a deep fryer or pan to 350 degrees F or until a cube of bread turns brown in 30 seconds or stick the handle of a wooden laddle into the hot oil, when bubbles starts to come out around the handle it's ready to go. Deep fry the croquettes in the hot oil until golden brown.

Drain and serve with marinara sauce or eat them as it is.

ARBORIO RICE

BOCCONCINI (2 oz. mozzarella balls)

PANCETTA(ITALIAN AND SPANISH PORK BELLY CURED MEAT)

THE RAGU

HOW TO MAKE THE ARANCINI

ARANCINI READY TO BE FRIED

BREADING STATION (FLOUR, EGGS W/ LITTLE MILK OR WATER, BREADCRUMBS) BUT I USED PANKO (JAPANESE BREADCRUMBS)

DONT FORGET TO SEASON WITH S&P HERE.

ARANCINI IS A SICILIAN WORD W/C MEANS LITTLE ORANGES

THE ANATOMY OF AN ARANCINO

THE SIDEDISH...TOMATO, BASIL AND BOCCONCINI NAPOLEON DRIZZLED W/ OLIVE OIL AND BALSAMIC VINEGAR

TOMATOES AND BASIL.. FROM MY GARDEN