Eric DiGioseDecember 17, 2019Tomato Sauce Spice, Italian Herb

Arancini

Eric DiGioseDecember 17, 2019Tomato Sauce Spice, Italian Herb

Somewhere, deep down one of the branches of the Arancini family tree, frozen in a fast-casual chain restaurant, there is something known as the mozzarella stick.

Maybe they’re not related. Maybe it was just coincidence. But let the associations stop there. All sins can be washed away in a bath of oil and marinara sauce, and in the case of the arancini, consider it done.

What Exactly Is It?

It the simplest terms, it is a rice ball. Rice rolled into the shape somewhat resembling a ball, stuffed, breaded and fried. The frying not only browns the outside to form a crispy shell, but allows the stuffings to get to know each other a little bit more, melting the cheese to create a delicious gooey inside each each bite.

Now, there are endless variations here. For starters, the below recipe uses a mozzarella cheese filling. But once you get the hang of it, add cooked ham, vegetables, chili peppers. In other words, anything you want.

The Rice

With most rices, you typically want to get rid of as much starch as possible, washing the rice before cooking. Here, higher starch rices work best, as you’ll be looking to form a somewhat sticky rice ball, which will hold together in the breading phase, and especially in the frying phase.

The Italian arborio rice works great for this as it’s starch heavy, but really any rice can work, just keep in mind you will want to avoid washing it beforehand.

Another method is to use leftovers from a previous meal, rather than letting extra rice go to waste. The day old rice will be a bit drier, so just be sure to slowly incorporate some breadcrumbs and egg into the mixture when forming the balls if it needs help sticking together.

Ready To Get Started?

Once you have the rice sorted out, the rest is easy. Form the rice balls, stuff the balls, and let the magic of deep frying run its course. With the insides hot, these should be consumed shortly after frying, only resting briefly to drain excess oil and cool down.

What you’ll need

Makes 8 large arancini

For the rice:

2 cups rice
Water or chicken stock, according to rice instructions
1 tbsp butter
Salt, pepper to taste
1 tsp Sawce Italian Herb spice

For the filling

2 eggs, whisked
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
Mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes

For the breading

Flour
1-2 eggs, whisked
1 cup breadcrumbs seasoned with 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp Sawce Tomato Sauce Spice

Lets Do This

Cook the rice according to instructions, in either water or stock. Add remaining ingredients prior to bringing to a boil
Once rice has cooked, spread out on a tray and let cool
In a mixing bowl add all filling ingredients except for the mozzarella cheese. Add rice and mix
As the mixture comes together, form rice balls with your hands
Press a piece of the mozzarella cheese into the center of each ball and pinch the opening closed to reform the ball again
In 3 separate bowls, add the flour, the remaining eggs, and the breadcrumbs
Gently roll the arancini in the flour, the egg, and lastly the breadcrumbs to coat. Set aside
Heat a pot or sided pan with a frying oil like canola or vegetable over medium-high heat
Once hot enough to fry, add the arancini and fry until golden on all sides. Set aside
Top with garnish such as parsley, and serve alongside marinara sauce, or eat as is

Arancini Ideas

As mentioned, the possibilities are endless with what you can do here. While the outside stays the same,… breading and rice, the insides can be changed as you wish. Cheeses, sauces, vegetables, and meats all work great.

If you’re really into experimenting, seasoning the rice to pair with the flavors on the inside can also be considered.