Arancini di riso
Prep time 15 minutes Cook time 25 minutes Serves 8-12 INGREDIENTS
● 250g Arborio rice ● a generous pinch of saffron strands ● 100g freshly grated Pecorino cheese ● 100g young Pecorino cheese, cut into cubes ● 100g cooked ham, cut into cubes ● 100g passata, mixed with 2 crushed garlic cloves ● handful of flat-leaf parsley, freshly chopped ● 3 tablespoons Italian ‘00’ flour ● 2 large eggs, lightly beaten ● 150g dried breadcrumbs ● olive oil or groundnut oil, for frying ● sea salt and freshly ground black pepper METHOD
1 Cook the rice in salted water for approximately 10 minutes then add the saffron and continue to cook for 8 more minutes until it’s sticky. Drain and place the rice onto baking parchment-lined baking sheets, spreading the rice out to a thickness of 1cm inch.
2 Place a 6cm round cutter or a tumbler over the surface of the rice to create individual portions of rice. Allow to cool.
3 Place the grated cheese, cubed cheese, ham, 1 teaspoon of the passata and some parsley on each of the rice rounds. Season well.
4 Using a palette knife, lift the rounds off the baking sheets and form them into balls, carefully sealing in the filling. Place the round in the palm of your hand like a nest and then squeeze gently to seal.
5 Dip the rounds in the flour, egg and breadcrumbs and deep-fry until golden in plenty of oil. Lift out of the oil and drain on paper towels. Arancini taste at their best when they are served warm.