Arancini di riso, also known as Sicilian rice balls, are a traditional Italian dish that originated in Sicily. These delectable treats are made from cooked rice, coated in breadcrumbs, and fried until golden brown. Arancini are typically filled with various savory ingredients such as minced meat, cheese, vegetables, and herbs, resulting in a flavorful and satisfying snack or main course. This versatile dish has several variations, each with its own unique filling and presentation. From classic recipes like the Ragu-Filled Arancini to more creative options like the Pesto Arancini or the Spinach and Fontina Arancini, there's an arancini recipe for everyone to enjoy. Whether you prefer a meaty filling, a vegetarian delight, or a combination of both, these Sicilian rice balls are sure to tantalize your taste buds.
Let's cook with our recipes!
ARANCINI DI RISO: SICILIAN RICE BALLS
Provided by Christina Conte
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Make the risotto by adding the rice to the heated oil in a large saute pan, and stirring quickly for one or two minutes. Quickly add the white wine while stirring. With the heat on medium high, begin adding the chicken stock a little at a time, and continuously stirring, until all the stock has been used and the rice is cooked, yet still al dente (I have a risotto recipe here on my blog). Taste; adding salt if necessary. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- Add an egg to the risotto and mix well, then refrigerate for a few hours, or overnight.
- To make the arancini:
- Place some rice in your hand and flatten it into your cupped hand, but don't make it too thin, or the filling will ooze out. Place a piece of mozzarella, and/or a little tomato sauce (and peas, if using) in the center of the cupped rice. Next, close the rice around the filling and shape into a ball.
- If you'd like to make conical shapes, flatten the bottom of the ball, and make the top more pointed.
- 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, pot or wok until it is very hot. 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 400ºF for 5 to 10 minutes.)
- Serve plain, or place on tray with a little tomato sauce and garnish with basil. You can also serve them with a little extra sauce on the side, although this isn't done in Italy.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 525 calories, Carbohydrate 32 grams carbohydrates, Cholesterol 181 milligrams cholesterol, Fat 20 grams fat, Fiber 2 grams fiber, Protein 35 grams protein, SaturatedFat 7 grams saturated fat, ServingSize 2, Sodium 520 grams sodium, Sugar 3 grams sugar, TransFat 0 grams trans fat, UnsaturatedFat 17 grams unsaturated fat
FRIED AND STUFFED RICE BALLS (ARANCINI DI RISO)
Provided by Giada De Laurentiis
Time 30m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Breading: Put the bread crumbs in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Filling: In a medium bowl, combine the risotto, bread crumbs, Parmesan, basil, and eggs. With damp hands, using about 2 tablespoons of the risotto mixture, form the mixture into 1 3/4-inch diameter balls. Make a hole in the center of each ball and insert a cube of Gorgonzola. Cover up the hole to completely enclose the cheese. Roll the balls in the breading to coat.
- In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour in enough oil to fill the pan about 1/3 of the way. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 350 degrees F. (If you dont have a thermometer, a cube of bread will brown in about 2 minutes.) In batches, fry the rice balls, turning occasionally, until golden, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve.
- In a medium saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and keep the broth hot.
- In a large, heavy saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat with the butter. Add the wine and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup hot broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of broth to absorb before adding the next. Cook the rice until tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the remaining butter, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.
- Yield: 2 cups
ARANCINI DI RISO
In Italy, arancini balls are often served as a side dish, like bread. Our arancini recipe features a ground beef and green pea filling. -Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Side Dishes
Time 35m
Yield 11 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Cook rice according to package directions. Cool slightly. Stir in the egg yolk, cheese and butter. Cover and refrigerate until cooled., Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomato sauce, peas, salt and pepper., Shape rice mixture into 11 patties. Place one heaping tablespoonful of meat filling in the center of each patty. Shape rice around filling, forming a ball. , Place egg whites and bread crumbs in separate shallow bowls. Dip rice balls in egg whites, then roll in bread crumbs. In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 375°. Fry rice balls, a few at a time, for 1-2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 346 calories, Fat 18g fat (5g saturated fat), Cholesterol 39mg cholesterol, Sodium 342mg sodium, Carbohydrate 37g carbohydrate (2g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 9g protein.
RISOTTO CROQUETTES: ARANCINI DI RISO
Provided by Food Network
Time 14h
Yield 6 to 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat, add the onion and celery and saute until tender and soft. Stir in the rice and season with salt and pepper and continue to cook for 1 minute. Add wine and stir until almost all liquid is absorbed, about 1 minute. Add a ladleful of the hot broth and cook, stirring, until it has been absorbed. Continue adding the broth, a ladle at the time, and stirring until each addition has been absorbed. This will take about 20 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Allow to cool and then put in the refrigerator, covered, overnight.
- Separate 1 egg and reserve the yolk.
- In a big mixing bowl, add the cold risotto, egg yolk, remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan, ham, mozzarella cheese, and parsley. Stir well, using a wooden spoon, until all the ingredients are well mixed.
- Whisk two eggs in a medium bowl.
- Place the flour in a plate or small bowl and the bread crumbs in a separate plate or small bowl.
- Roll, roll, roll your risotto into balls.
- One-by-one, gently roll each ball into the flour, then dip it into the beaten eggs, and then roll it into the breadcrumbs. By doing this you will create a nice crust on the outside of the croquettes, it will help maintain its round shape while cooking, but it will also keep the warmth inside for a while after they are cooked.
- Heat up about 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil in a high-sided skillet.
- When the oil is hot, start frying the croquettes. Try to remember the order in which you put them into the pan, the first one into the hot oil should be the first one to be turned over, and then the first one to come out. Keep it in mind as you cook!
- The process is fairly quick, turn the croquettes a few times to make sure they are evenly cooked, and do not worry if some mozzarella cheese spills out. When it happens, if it happens, there is nothing you can do about it, and the dish won't be affected in any way.
- Remove the risotto balls to paper towel-lined plates.
SARTU DI RISO
Provided by Giada De Laurentiis
Categories main-dish
Time 2h30m
Yield 8 to 10 servings
Number Of Ingredients 21
Steps:
- In a large saucepan combine the rice, chicken broth, 1 1/4 teaspoons of the salt and the bay leaf. Stir and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid, reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring once, until the rice is still slightly undercooked but the liquid is absorbed, 8 minutes. Pour the rice into a large bowl and cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Stir in 2 1/2 cups of the cheese and 3 of the eggs until well combined, and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a medium nonreactive saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove the sausage from the casing and break into small, bite-size pieces. Add the sausage to the hot oil and cook until browned, breaking it up with the back of a wooden spoon as it cooks. Using a slotted spoon, remove the sausage to a medium bowl and set aside. Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic, shallots and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring constantly until fragrant and the shallots are soft, 1 minute. Add the basil, cheese rind and tomatoes, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Remove the basil and cheese rind. Add 2 cups of the sauce to the reserved sausage and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a separate medium bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons of the breadcrumbs, the milk and the remaining egg with a fork and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes to thicken. Stir in the oregano, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and the remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Using your hands, mix in the beef, until just combined. Heat 1/2-inch of olive oil in a medium straight-sided pan. Scoop 1-tablespoon mounds of the mixture into damp hands and roll into uniform balls. When the oil is hot, fry the balls in 2 batches, turning them as needed with a slotted spoon to brown the balls evenly, about 4 minutes. When golden brown and crispy all around, remove the balls using a slotted spoon to the bowl with the sausage and sauce. Continue with the remaining balls, and then toss to coat evenly in the sauce.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Using 1 tablespoon of the butter, grease the inside of a Bundt pan or a 3 1/2-quart Dutch oven, making sure to coat it very well. Dust the inside of the pan with 3 tablespoons of the breadcrumbs. Make sure it is evenly coated and there are no bald spots. This is very important to prevent sticking.
- Add the peas and diced mozzarella to the meat and sauce, and toss gently to incorporate. Spoon two-thirds of the rice mixture into the prepared bundt pan. Using damp hands, press the rice evenly over the bottom of the pan and 2 1/2-inches up the sides and middle of the pan. Spoon the meat filling into the well of rice and press gently to make sure it is evenly packed. Spoon the remaining rice over the filling and, using damp hands, press the rice evenly over the filling, being sure to press the rice on top into the rice along the edges to seal. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs and dot with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter. Bake until lightly browned on top, 45 minutes.
- Cool for 15 minutes.
- Place a plate large enough to cover the top of the pan over the pan. Using heat-resistant pads or a towel, invert the sartu onto the plate. Carefully lift the pan off of the rice, shaking gently if needed. Warm the remaining sauce and fill the opening in the middle of the molded rice with the sauce to serve.
ARANCINI DI RISO (RICE BALLS)
Make and share this Arancini Di Riso (Rice Balls) recipe from Food.com.
Provided by Phil Franco
Categories Long Grain Rice
Time 40m
Yield 20 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Pour enough oil in a heavy large saucepan to reach the depth of 3 inches.
- Heat the oil over medium heat to 350 degrees F.
- Stir the eggs, rice, Parmesan, and 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs in a large bowl to combine.
- Place the remaining breadcrumbs in a medium bowl.
- Using about 2 tablespoons of the rice mixture for each, form the rice mixture into 1 3/4-inch-diameter balls. Insert 1 cube of mozzarella into the center of each ball.
- Roll the balls in the bread crumbs to coat.
- Working in batches, add the rice balls to the hot ail and cook until brown and heated through, turning them as necessary, about 4 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the rice balls to paper towels to drain.
- Season with salt. Let rest 2 minutes.
- Serve hot.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 85.3, Fat 2.4, SaturatedFat 1.1, Cholesterol 25.7, Sodium 221.3, Carbohydrate 11.7, Fiber 0.5, Sugar 0.6, Protein 3.9
Tips:
- Choose the right rice: Short-grain rice like Arborio or Carnaroli are best for risotto because they absorb liquid well and hold their shape.
- Toast the rice: Toasting the rice before adding the liquid helps to develop its flavor and prevent it from becoming mushy.
- Use a good broth: The broth you use will greatly impact the flavor of your risotto, so use a high-quality broth that you enjoy the taste of.
- Cook the risotto slowly: Risotto takes time to cook, so be patient and don't rush the process. Cooking it slowly allows the rice to absorb the liquid and flavors properly.
- Stir the risotto frequently: Stirring the risotto frequently helps to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan and also helps to release the starch from the rice, which gives the risotto its creamy texture.
- Don't overcook the risotto: Risotto should be cooked until it is al dente, meaning it should still have a slight bite to it. Overcooked risotto will be mushy and unpleasant.
- Season the risotto to taste: Once the risotto is cooked, season it with salt and pepper to taste. You can also add other seasonings, such as Parmesan cheese, herbs, or vegetables, to your liking.
Conclusion:
Arancini di riso are a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed as an appetizer, main course, or side dish. They are easy to make and can be customized to your liking. With a few simple tips, you can make perfect arancini di riso at home.
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