Sicilian arancini

Some arancini are made with leftover risotto, some are made from scratch – either way, they make a perfect appetiser. In this recipe, the little rice balls are filled with cheese, peas and mince. Recipe adapted by Silvia Colloca.

• makes

  16

• prep

  1 minutes

• cook

  3 hours

• difficulty

  Mid

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Ingredients

• 440 g (2 cups) arborio or carnaroli rice
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ½ brown onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 500 g pork and veal mince
• 195 g (1½ cups) frozen peas
• salt and pepper, for seasoning
• 125 ml (½ cup) dry white wine
• 600 ml passata
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 200 g (2 cups) grated parmesan cheese
• ⅓ cup chopped parsley
• 150 g scamorza, cut into cubes
• 220 g (2 cups) dry breadcrumbs
• vegetable oil, for deep-frying

You will need to begin this recipe 1 day ahead. 

Chilling time: overnight

Instructions

1. Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil. Add the rice, stir to combine and simmer, stirring regularly until the rice is cooked through. Drain well and spread onto a large tray to cool down completely. Cover the tray with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and stir gently for 1 minute, then add garlic and keep stirring to stop it from burning. Add mince and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, for 2-3 minutes or until browned.
3. Add the peas, season with salt and pepper, then pour in the wine. Simmer for 1 -2 minutes to cook out the alcohol, then add the passata and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally for 2-3 hours or until reduced and thick. Remove from the heat, stand until cool, then transfer to a container, cover and refrigerate overnight.
4. When ready to assemble, place the cooled rice in a large bowl with the eggs and grated parmesan and mix well.
5. Using wet hands, shape the rice mixture into tennis ball sized rounds. Create an indent with your finger in the middle, stuff with 1-2 cubes of cheese, 1-2 teaspoons of fridge - cold meat sauce, then grab a little extra rice and create a lid to cover the filling. Using the palm of your hands, mould the ball into a pear shape. Roll in breadcrumbs to coat well and set aside. Repeat until you have finished the mixture.
6. Place the oil for deep frying in a deep saucepan and heat to about 170˚C. The oil should be deep enough that the arancini are completely submerged when cooking. Gently fry the arancini in batches for 4-5 minutes or until deep golden. Drain on paper towel, sprinkle with salt and serve.

 

Silvia Colloca shares her Italian family secrets in the brand-new third season of Cook like an Italian.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

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