“Sicilian Rice Balls” For "Wordless Tuesday"

Welcome to “Wordless Tuesday!” Where there are no more words, just a mouth watering recipe which I know you have been waiting for…..

“Sicilian Rice Balls”
Arancini di Siciliani

Nanni Sauchelli's fabulous recipe, adapted from "Ciao  Italia"

Ingredients:

1 cup Arborio rice
3 large eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 cup diced mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup diced prosciutto or ham
3 tablespoons finely minced fresh parsley
2 cups fresh bread crumbs, toasted
1/4 cup homemade tomato sauce
Vegetable oil for deep-frying

Directions:

In a saucepan, bring 2-1/2 cups water to a boil. Add the rice and cook for 15 minutes. The rice should still be quite firm. Drain and transfer to a bowl.

Lightly beat one of the eggs and add to the rice, along with the grated cheese, parsley, 2 tablespoons of the tomato sauce, plus salt/pepper. Mix well. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. In another bowl, mix the mozzarella cheese, prosciutto or ham, and the remaining 2 tablespoons tomato sauce.

With floured hands, divide the rice mixture into 8 or 10 portions and roll each portion into a ball the size of a small orange. Poke a hole into the center of each ball with your finger and insert about 1-1/2 tablespoons of the mozzarella mixture. Reshape and smooth the balls to enclose the filling.

In a shallow dish, beat the remaining 2 eggs. Spread the bread crumbs on a plate. Dip the balls into the eggs, turning to coat them well. Roll the balls in the bread crumbs to coat them evenly. Then let them dry on a plate and in your refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

In a deep fryer or deep heavy pan, heat the vegetable oil to 375°F  Now; fry the rice balls until they are golden brown on all sides. Drain them on brown paper and serve immediately, with the fresh tomato sauce. 


Till Next Time……………………………….......................

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