CHEESE & HAM ARANCINI

Makes around 10 arancini

METHOD

1. Cook arborio rice (500g) in lightly salted water for 17 to 20 mins. Remove from the heat and drain. Mix saffron (1 tsp) with two tablespoons of the rice water and stir into the rice with salted butter (50g). Let it cool. 2. For the béchamel, warm milk (400ml) with a bay leaf in a pan over medium heat. Warm salted butter (75g) and flour (60g) in another pan and stir. Let the flour mixture bubble a bit, then pour in the milk and whisk through, keeping the pan over the heat. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. As the sauce starts to thicken, remove from the heat and pour into a bowl (remove bay leaf). Cover with cling film and let cool. 3. When the sauce is cold, stir into it chopped cooked ham (300g), grated Parmesan (30g), mozzarella (240g) and cooked petit pois peas (150g). 4. Make the arancini batter by mixing flour (100g) and water (150ml), then blending this mixture until it is smooth. 5. Work the rice in your hands for five mins. Weigh out 120g of the rice and flatten it in your palm. Make a well in the centre, spoon in 30g of the filling and close the rice around it. Dip the arancini into the batter and drain off any excess, then roll in breadcrumbs (100g). 6. To fry the arancini, heat oil in a deep-sided pan at around 175°C and fry them for five-toseven mins or until they’re orangey-brown. Skewer the arancini to pull them out of the oil. Touch the tip of the skewer to see if it’s hot; if it isn’t, cook the balls for longer. Drain on kitchen paper and eat.

From Sicily: Recipes From an Italian Island (Hardie Grant; £25) by Katie & Giancarlo Caldesi. Out now.