I grew up in Melbourne, Australia which is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world. It was not unheard of then to have neighbors from just about anywhere in the world. Most of the people we knew were from Italy, Hungary, Poland, Ireland, England and the many different nations in the Middle East. Australia today, continues to cultivate its melting pot of people from around the world. As a result, it is rich with many unique ingredients and foods that have been introduced by these many cultures.
The first time I tried arancini was when I had dinner with the children of a Sicilian family that we rented from. They owned a duplex, so they lived in the front part of the house and we lived in the back. On the side of the house, they had a large patch of land where they grew their own vegetables. They raised their own ferrets and chickens and made just about everything from scratch.
There was a large shed right behind the house, and the place where they slaughtered their chickens and pigs. It was here where I saw my first (and only) chicken killed right in front of me by the Sicilian mother, and another event that involved a few little pigs.
It was the weekend, and as usual, all of us kids emptied out into the streets looking for our playmates. Our families knew to keep the front door open, because we all had a habit of running in and out of the house. As I made my way down the narrow alley that ran along the side of the house to our duplex in the back, I saw the father of the family herding a few little pigs into the shed. They closed the large wooden doors behind them, and I began to hear a lot of frightened squeals from the little pigs, that seemed to go on forever.
It was hours before the doors opened again, and when they did, I walked in looking for the little pigs. I didn’t see them but instead saw large bunches of sausages tied together by string, hanging from the rafters.
For the next few weeks, I hid every time I saw them coming. I guess they realized I had been traumatized by the event, so their kids invited me over to have dinner with them. That night, they served something so delicious that I still remember it today. The were little balls of rice, delicately coated in a meat and tomato sauce with a piece of mozzarella tucked in the center. The balls were breaded and fried and served warm with the mozzarella oozing from the center.
It was not until many years later, that I discovered what these fried little rice balls were — they were something called either suppli or arancini — depending on what part of Italy you were from, and what ingredients were added.
Suppli are made from leftover risotto that is combined with tomato sauce, stuffed with a piece of mozzarella then breaded and fried. This version originated in Rome and can still be enjoyed there today. Arancini on the other hand includes risotto that is combined with a tomato based meat sauce (that sometimes includes peas) which is also filled with a piece of mozzarella and breaded and fried. This version is traditionally Sicilian, and these are the ones I enjoyed with them that night — minus the peas. They were crispy on the outside and so delicious, soft and gooey inside. They are called arancini (plural, arancine) because they resemble small oranges.
Today, there are so many different variations of these delicious little bites that are served in restaurants and cafes all over Italy. You can find them with the traditional tomato based sauce or other sauces made with just about anything.
I was looking through some of these new variations and noticed that some were even made with a white sauce which I really wanted to try next time I had leftover rice. My problem is that I rarely use risotto, and this type of rice is known for its high starch content which makes it silky smooth and sticky — perfect for these.
Since my long grain rice does not have the same sticky properties, I wanted to find a reliable way to make the same thing. The solution I found was to make a cheesy roux that I combined with the rice. I scooped out the finished rice mixture and added a little bocconcini (bite size) mozzarella ball in the center, closed it up with some more rice, then breaded and fried each one.
They came out perfect and delicious. They were creamy, cheesy and tangy from the grated parmesan cheese. I love them because they make a perfect side dish or afternoon snack. I have even had a pile of them for dinner alongside a salad. Experimenting with traditional favorites can yield others that are equally (or even more) delicious.
Arancine (makes 18, 2 0z balls)
4 cups of cooked rice
2 cups finely shredded mozzarella (or cheese of your choice)
18 bite size mozzarella balls
2 Tablespoon dried parsley
1 Tablespoon onion powder
1 Tablespoon dehydrated chopped onion
S&P to taste
Breading
2 eggs, beaten with ¼ cup water
2 cups breadcrumbs
1 cup flour
Roux
2 Tablespoon butter
2 heaping Tablespoon all purpose flour
2 cups whole milk (warm)
1 ½ cups grated parmesan cheese
S& P to taste (start with 1/4 teaspoon and go from there)
Put 4 cups of rice in a large mixing bowl and add shredded mozzarella, grated parmesan, dried parsley, onion powder and chopped dehydrated onion then set this aside. Next, begin making the roux by placing the butter to melt in a small pot. Once the butter has melted, add the flour and stir it well into the butter for a few minutes to toast the flour in the butter. Heat the milk and pour it into the flour and butter paste and whisk on low heat until it has thickened. Add a good pinch of pepper.
Pour the rice mixture into the cooked roux and combine well. This will make about 18 large (2 oz) balls which are perfect for individual portions, but you can definitely make them smaller if you prefer. If you make them really small, you may not be able to add the additional mini mozzarella balls in the center.
Use an ice cream scoop to pre-portion all of your arancini. I think they are quite cheesy already, but if you want to add the extra piece of mozzarella in the center, then scoop out the rice and create a well in the center of the rice mixture. Like this…
Once you have placed the cheese in the center, add a little more rice to the base of the croquette and tighten the mixture by pressing it into the bottom of your bowl, as if you were scooping out ice cream. Then place the ready scoops onto a platter of paper lined sheet tray. IF YOU DO NOT DO THIS CORRECTLY, THE CHEESE WILL MELT OUT OF THE BREADING WHEN YOU FRY IT. If you have a small amount of rice left that is not enough for another whole croquette, just put a little of the mixture on top of each croquettes to even it out amongst those that have already been scooped out.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. When you are ready to do the breading, break your eggs into a small bowl, whisk and add in the water and whisk again. Put your flour onto a large plate or bowl and add a little S&P to it. Place your breadcrumbs onto another plate or bowl and set aside. Organize your assembly line for the dipping — you should have your plate croquettes sitting next to the flour, which should be next to the whipped eggs/water which should be next to the flour. Have a large empty platter (or sheet pan) next to the bread crumbs for the finished product.
Take each croquette, roll in flour to coat completely (remove excess), then put this into the egg mix and coat well here also, then roll in breadcrumbs and place onto your empty platter. Make sure there is a good coating of breading on the exterior of the arancini, as this will keep it intact and also prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the skillet when frying in the oil. If you plan to freeze them, then you can put the just breaded arancini directly into a clean lidded container.
If you plan to cook them the same day, put the completed plate of arancine (uncovered) back into the fridge to chill for about an hour or so (uncovered) for the breading to adhere well to the arancine.
When ready to fry, heat at least 2″ of oil in a skillet and fry each one until golden brown. Make sure that your oil is moderately hot, because the breading will brown too fast, and the cheese ball will not melt. Remove them from the oil onto a paper line plate or tray to drain completely, then serve warm.
Leave a Reply