Arancini are a delicious dish suitable as an appetizer or as a snack. It is a simple dish to prepare that lends itself to many variations. In fact, these beautiful rice balls can be seasoned with peas, mushrooms… Even, by adding minced meat and tomato sauce, and changing shape, they turn into suppli’.
This is the basic recipe that can be modified according to your taste.
Ingredients:
500 g (17.6 Oz.) rice
100 g (3.5 Oz.) cooked ham or bacon cut into danini
3 eggs
150 g (5.2 Oz.) mozzarella
100 g (3.5 Oz.) parmigiano (parmesan cheese)
300 g (10.5 Oz.) breadcrumbs
Oil
2 Tbsp Butter
Parsley to taste
Black Pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. Cook the rice in a pot with plenty of salted water.
2. Once ready, season it with butter, parmigiano, parsley and black pepper.
3. Add three eggs and mix them well with the rice.
3. Form medium-sized rice balls by placing a diced mozzarella in the centre.
4. Roll the rice balls in the breadcrumbs.
5. Fry the balls in hot oil.
6. When they are well browned, remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon and arrange them on a plate or tray lined with paper towels to drain excess oil.
7. Serve piping hot.
As a variant you can make more elaborate balls by adding peas and/or mushrooms…Even tomato sauce or meat!
In a bowl, melt a knob of butter in the oil and fry 30 grams (1.05 Oz.)of diced bacon, deglaze with white wine and add the cooked ham, peas and/or mushrooms. Then amalgamate the cel rice compound and continue following the recipe.
