Arancini
makes around 28 arancini
INGREDIENTS
Rice
3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ cup finely chopped Onion
6 cups Water
2 teaspoons Salt
¼ teaspoons Black Pepper
3 cups Short Grain Rice (Arborio Rice)
1 cup grated Pecorino Romano Cheese
Meat & Sauce Filling
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ cup Onion, finely chopped
1 Celery Stalk, finely chopped
1 Carrot, finely chopped
Hot Red Pepper Flakes, optional
1 pound Ground Beef
Salt & Black Pepper to taste
6 ounces Tomato Paste
1 cup Water
4 ounces frozen Peas, run under water before using
6 Fresh Basil Leaves
½ pound Mozzarella, shredded or diced small
Forming Balls
3 Eggs + Salt & Black Pepper
1½ cups plain Bread Crumbs + Salt & Black Pepper
Vegetable Oil for frying
Salt to sprinkle over cooked balls, optional
Marinara Sauce on the side for dipping, optional
METHOD
Make the Rice (this can be done the day before and kept in the fridge.)
1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot on medium to medium-low heat.
2. Add the onions and sauté until soft and translucent.
3. When onions are done, add the water, salt, and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil.
4. Once the water is boiling, add the rice. Mix well and bring to a boil.
5. Once boiling, cover the pot, turn the heat to low and cook for 15-20 minutes. DO NOT STIR but check on it often. Once the water is all gone, the rice is done. Feel free to test it for doneness.
6. When rice is done, turn off the heat, transfer cooked rice onto a cookie sheet, and spread it out on the sheet to cool.
7. Sprinkle the Pecorino cheese all over the top of the rice.
8. Let is cool completely while you make the filling.
Make to Filling (this can be done the day before and kept in the fridge.)
1. Heat the olive oil to a large shallow saucepan on medium to medium low heat.
2. Once the oil is warm, add the onion, celery, carrots, a little salt and pepper, and optional red pepper flakes. Sauté until soft.
3. Add the ground beef and some salt and pepper. Break the meat up as it cooks.
4. When the meat is done cooking, add the tomato paste and mix thoroughly. Let cook for 1-2 minutes.
5. Add the water, peas, and torn up basil. mix thoroughly.
6. Turn heat to low and simmer until there is no liquid. The sauce should be thick, not watery. If you push the sauce around the pan, you should be able to see the bottom of the pan.
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
8. Let the sauce cool completely.
Make the Balls
1. Shred or dice the mozzarella and set it aside.
2. Put some water in a large bowl.
3. Lay out the bowl of water, then the cookie sheet of rice, and then your sauce next to it.
4. Lay out a couple cookie sheets with parchment paper on them.
5. Wet your hands with the water in the bowl.
6. Grab some rice and make a sort of pancake with it in your hand.
7. Spoon in about a Tbsp of sauce on to the rice in your hand.
8. Add a couple cubes of mozzarella on top of the sauce.
9. Grab some more rice and place it on top. Shape it into a ball about the size of a tennis ball.
10. Place the rice ball onto the parchment lines cookie sheet.
11. Repeat until rice is gone.
Bread the Arancini
1. Crack the eggs into a wide bowl.
2. Place the breadcrumbs into a large wide bowl.
3. Season the eggs and breadcrumbs separately with a large pinch of salt and black pepper.
4. Mmix the salt into the breadcrumbs with a spoon.
5. Beat the eggs with a fork until mixed well.
6. Roll the arancini, one by one, in the egg mixture and then into the breadcrumbs.
7. Place the breaded arancini back onto the parchment lined cookie sheet, or use a new one.
Fry the Arancini
1. Prepare a cookie sheet with either a cooling rack on it or paper towels.
1. Heat about 1 inch of vegetable oil to 350F in a wide shallow pan.
2. Once the oil is hot, gently drop in the arancini one by one using a spider or something like that. DO NOT CROWD THE PAN.
3. Fry them for about 5 minutes, gently turning them with a meat fork to ensure all sides are golden.
4. Once they golden all over, remove them from the oil using the spider and place them on the paper towels lined cookie sheet or a cooling rack on a cookie sheet.
5. Repeat until they are all cooked.
HOW TO SERVE
Serve as is or with Authentic Marinara Sauce for dipping!