Ingredients
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350gr RiceShort-grain rice
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Ground black pepper
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2 Eggs
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OilVegetable oil for frying
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100g Tomato Concentrate
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Half glass White Wine
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1/4 teaspoon Crushed Saffron
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1/4 cup Flour
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2 cups Water
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400gr Minced Beef
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50gr Parmesan Cheese
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4 teaspoons Unsalted butter
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Salt
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2 cups Breadcrumbs
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1 White Onion
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200gr Peas
Directions
A stuffed rice ball, deep fried, full of love with the shape of the Sun: that’s how I would describe an Arancina. And yes, I said “arancinA” not “arancinO”, since this is the recipe for the Arancina (female!) as it is done in Palermo, and not the Arancino (Male!) more common in the area near Catania – It’s not a secret that I’m from Palermo so I’m part of Team Arancina (A big hug to all my friends from Catania!).
We published already the recipe of the Arancina al Burro (Mozzarella and Ham) that you can find here – The one that you’ll find here is exact the same recipe, with a different filling, and called Arancina “Accarne” (Alla Carne – with beef), that together with the Arancina “Abburro” (Al burro – With butter, Ham and Mozzarella.. no butter in it surprisingly!) are the 2 staples across all different type of Arancine. The filling is practically a very thick Ragu’, and it can contain Peas and Carrots, or just meat (me personally, I love it with peas!)
This, of course, is only a single type of Arancina, but take in consideration that all around Sicily, there are different types of stuffing (with mushrooms, chicken, gorgonzola cheese or even Nutella!)
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Steps
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1
Done
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Put in a large saucepan over medium heat the rice alongside with saffron and one and an half cups of salted water. When the water and rice are boiling, cover the saucepan and reduce the heat to low. Let it simmer until all the water is gone (usually between 15 and 20 minutes!). |
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2
Done
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In a pan fry the onion in oil. Then add the minced beef and bring it to a brownish colour over high heat, then pour a little wine in it and let it evaporate. |
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3
Done
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Add salt, pepper, and the concentrate dissolved in a little water (the meat sauce must be thick, almost dry) and, when cooked, add the Parmesan cheese. |
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4
Done
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Cook the peas (if we use the frozen ones, defrost them in hot water with 1 bay leaf and a pinch of sugar), drain and add them to the cold meat sauce. |
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5
Done
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Once all the ingredients are ready, it’s time to start shaping your Arancine. In order to do that you can or use the old method (Place 1 tablespoon of rice in your hand and then use your fingers to give it the shape of a hollow bowl, put a teaspoon of filling on top, then gently close the rice around the filling giving it a ball shape) or you can use the Arancinotto, that will help you giving the PERFECT shape. To be honest, doing it the old way is not easy at all, and sometimes you end up with Arancine that are a bit empty on the inside, with no enough filling (as is not easy to close them!) |
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6
Done
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When all the Arancine are in shape, mix together eggs, flour, half cup of water and a pinch of salt in a bowl, until the mixture is smooth. |
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7
Done
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Spread the bread crumbs in another plate. |
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8
Done
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Now it’s time to roll each Arancina in the mixture you’ve made, and then roll it again on the bread crumbs, until fully breaded! |
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9
Done
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Once done, let them rest in the fridge for about 20-30 min. |
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10
Done
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Start warming up the oil in a sauce pan big enough to contain at least 2 or 3 Arancine at the same time. Start cooking them until they are evenly golden-brown (if the oil is hot enough, usually about 3 minutes). Do not put more than 2 or 3 Arancine at the same time, better if you are careful, you don’t want them overcooked! |
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11
Done
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Serve them hot, your Arancine are now ready to go! |
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12
Done
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As said in the recipe, the best way to give it the right shape, is using this little tool (Arancinotto) that you can buy directly from amazon or from our Shop! |
