Sicilian Arancini
Crispy golden rice balls stuffed with a slow-cooked ragù and mozzarella, fried to perfection. Sicily's most beloved street food.
🛒 Ingredients
- 400g Arborio rice
- 1L chicken stock
- 80g Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
- 2 eggs
- pinch saffron
- 200g ground beef
- 100g frozen peas
- 200g tin crushed tomatoes
- 200g mozzarella, cubed small
- 2 cups fine breadcrumbs
- oil for deep frying
👨🍳 Method
- 1
Cook rice in saffron-infused chicken stock until absorbed. Stir in parmesan and 1 egg. Spread on a tray to cool.
- 2
Brown ground beef, add tomatoes and peas; simmer 20 minutes for the ragù.
- 3
With wet hands, form a rice cup in your palm, add ragù and a mozzarella cube, enclose with more rice.
- 4
Shape into balls or cones. Repeat with all the rice.
- 5
Beat remaining egg. Dip each arancino in egg, then coat in breadcrumbs.
- 6
Deep-fry at 180°C for 4-5 minutes until deeply golden.
- 7
Drain and serve immediately.
💡 Chef's Tips
- →Cold rice from the fridge is much easier to shape.
- →Freeze shaped but unbreaded arancini — they fry perfectly from frozen.
- →Press the breadcrumb coating on firmly to prevent cracks.
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