Arancini
Golden, crunchy rice balls stuffed with ragu, peas and mozzarella, and fried until the center is molten. They are a beloved street food in Sicily.
Arancini 002: No machine-readable author provided. Gmelfi assumed (based on copyright claims)., Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
Where it comes from
Arancini come from Sicily, where leftover rice was transformed into hand-held snacks. The name means 'little oranges' for their round golden look, and they are sold in bakeries and street stalls across the island.
Explore the cuisine of Italy.
Recipe
Make Arancini at home
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked, cooled risotto (saffron or plain)
- 2 eggs, beaten (1 for the rice)
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- 1 cup ragu or cooked peas
- 4 oz (115 g) mozzarella, diced
- 1 cup flour
- 2 cups fine breadcrumbs
- Oil for deep frying
How it's made
- Mix cooled risotto with one egg and the Parmesan; chill for 30 minutes.
- Wet your hands and flatten a ball of rice in your palm.
- Place a spoonful of ragu or peas and a cube of mozzarella in the center and close the rice around it into a ball.
- Roll in flour, dip in remaining beaten egg, then coat in breadcrumbs.
- Heat oil to 350 F (175 C) and fry in batches 4 to 5 minutes until deep golden.
- Drain on paper and serve warm.
Variations
- Arancini alla norma: with eggplant.
- Cone-shaped arancini (arancine a punta).
- Spinach and ricotta arancini.
Cook’s tip: Cold, firm risotto is easiest to shape; warm rice will fall apart.
Related dishes
RisottoMain dishes · Italy
Pizza MargheritaMain dishes · Italy
FocacciaBreads · Italy
CannoliDesserts and sweets · Italy
About this page
Description and method written by Intercontinental Chef. Home-style method; quantities are a starting point, so adjust to taste.
Photo credit
- Arancini 002: No machine-readable author provided. Gmelfi assumed (based on copyright claims)., Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)