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Arancini

Arancini are stuffed rice balls, traditionally filled with a mixture of slow cooked meat and peas (al sugo), ham and caciocavallo cheese and then coated in breadcrumbs and deep fried.
Makes about 10 -12 arancini
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Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

For the rice
  • 2 1/2 cups Arborio or Carnaroli rice
  • 5 1/2 cups water
  • 3/4 - 1 tsp salt
  • 1/8 - 1/4 tsp saffron powder
  • 2 Tbspns butter
  • 4 Tbspns Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
For the filling
  • 1/3 cup ham, diced
  • 1/3 cup Caciocavallo (or substitute Mozzarella), diced
  • 2 Tbspns extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup yellow onion, diced
  • 1/4 lb ground pork
  • 1/4 cup red wine
  • 1/3 cup tomato sauce
  • 1/3 cup peas, fresh or frozen
For the bread crumb coating
  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2/3 cup + 2 Tbspns water
  • 2 cups breadcrumbs, plain
For frying
  • vegetable oil, enough for deep frying

Method
 

For the rice
  1. Bloom the saffron. Using a mortar and pestle, grind 10 saffron threads (1/4 teaspoon) to a fine powder. Add 4 tablespoons of warm water and set aside to bloom, about 15 - 20 minutes.
  2. Prepare the rice. Then, bring 5 1/2 cups of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the rice and mix well. Reduce to medium low heat and allow the rice to simmer uncovered for about 12 - 15 minutes or until the rice has absorbed most of the water. Then, add the butter and Pecorino Romano. Transfer the rice to a large sheet pan and spread evenly to cool. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the rice to cool to room temperature.
  3. For the filling. Add olive oil to a frying pan and saute the diced onion over medium heat for about 5 to 7 minutes until it is soft and translucent. Add the ground pork to the onions, breaking it up into small pieces. Season with salt and pepper and saute until it begins to brown. Add the red wine, to deglaze, scraping up the brown bits in the pan. Cook until the red wine evaporates and the mixture is dry. Add the passata (tomato puree), mix well and allow the mixture to cook for about 15 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened. Add the peas, taste and adjust seasoning, as necessary.
  4. To assemble. To begin the assembly, line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.  I keep a small bowl of water alongside as I shape these to help the process along. I have found that an ice cream scoop with a quick release is the simplest way to portion out the rice (about 2 Tbspns).
    Take one scoop of rice, squeeze it into a ball so the rice sticks together well, then press it into the palm of one of your hands, creating a thick disk. Then, press your finger into the center of the disk of rice to create an indentation for the filling. Add about 1 tsp of the pork mixture, a cube or two of diced ham and a few chunks of diced cheese. Then, take another ice cream scoop full of rice, squeeze it into a rough disk about the same size as the one in your palm, and place it over the top to cover the filling.
    Then, squeeze it all together to form a ball. The final arancino will be about 2 1/2" in diameter. If filling starts to creep out at the seams, just add a little more rice to cover it up. Squeeze the arancino gently as you shape it to create a sturdy little ball. Repeat this process until you have used up all of the rice. Allow the arancini to chill in the refrigerator before continuing. 
  5. Breading. Once the arancini have chilled, prepare a breading station. Combine the flour and water in a medium sized mixing bowl and mix to create a batter, similar to the consistency of a thin pancake batter. Put the breadcrumbs in a shallow dish. Dip each arancini into the batter, and place on a rack to allow the excess batter to drip off. Once you have dipped a batch, roll each arancino in the breadcrumbs to coat.
  6. Frying. Pour vegetable oil into a frying pan to a depth of about 3 inches. Add the arancini to the hot oil, careful not to overcrowd the pan. Cook for 5-7 minutes, rotating the arancini as necessary, until golden brown. Remove with a spider and transfer to a baking sheet. Season with salt while the arancini are still hot. Then, transfer to the oven to keep warm as you fry the rest of the batch.