National Dishes of the World

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Arancini
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Gmelfi assumed (based on copyright claims)., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

snack

Arancini

Golden fried balls of saffron rice filled with ragù, peas and cheese – Sicilian street food.

Eaten in: Italy

Prep
1 h
Cooking
1 h 10 min
Resting
2 h
Total
4 h 10 min
Servings
6

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About the dish

Arancini are balls or cones of cooked rice that are filled, breaded and deep-fried. The name means “little oranges”, after their shape and golden colour. The most classic filling is meat ragù with peas and a piece of cheese, and another favourite is ham with mozzarella and béchamel. In Sicily they are bought in bars and bakeries for a quick breakfast or snack during the day, and in Palermo they are traditionally eaten on 13 December, the feast of St Lucy. Islanders love to argue over whether the correct form is arancine or arancini.

Main ingredients

  • rice
  • saffron
  • meat ragù
  • peas
  • caciocavallo or mozzarella
  • breadcrumbs

Italy: In Sicily; in Palermo they are called arancine and made round, while in the east of the island they are arancini, often cone-shaped.

More: Wikipedia (en)

Recipe

Arancini

https://foodmap.ominuvo.com/dish/arancini

Ingredients

6 servings

6 servings

Method

  1. Cook the rice in the stock with the saffron dissolved in it for about 15–18 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender but firm. Stir in the butter and cheese.

  2. Spread the rice thinly on a large tray and leave to cool completely, ideally for 2 hours or overnight in the fridge.

  3. Mix the ragù with the cooked peas; the filling should be thick and cold.

  4. With wet hands, take a portion of rice, make a hollow in it, add a spoonful of ragù and a cube of cheese and close it up, shaping a ball the size of a large mandarin.

  5. Whisk the flour with the water and a pinch of salt into a smooth, runny batter. Dip each ball in it, then coat thoroughly in breadcrumbs.

  6. Heat the oil to 170°C and fry the arancini 2–3 at a time for 4–5 minutes until deep golden. Drain on paper and serve warm.

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