This is one of many delicious recipes of Sicilian street food. In all cities of this wonderful island you can buy every kind of arancini. If you want to prepare them at home, you can read my family’s traditional recipe. This kind of arancino has an elongated shape . In some towns they may have a cylindrical shape as well. I’ve used the special mold, but if you can’t buy it or if you prefer, you can create the typical spherical shape. I guarantee you that they will be enjoyed anyway!
Ingredients for 10 arancini:
- 500 grams Roma rice
- 1sachet of saffron powder
- 40 grams grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- 20 grams grated Pecorino Siciliano
- vegetable broth to taste
- 1 clove of peeled garlic
- 20 grams cold butter
- olive oil to taste
- salt to taste
For the filling:
- 50grams diced ham
- 100 grams diced mozzarella
For the béchamel sauce:
- 100 ml milk
- 10 grams butter
- 10 grams 00 flour
- salt to taste
- nutmeg to taste
For breading:
- all-purpose flour
- Cold mineral water
- Breadcrumbs
For frying:
- 1 liter sunflower oil
Method
Start by preparing the béchamel. Heat the milk with grated nutmeg in a saucepan and separately, melt the butter and add the flour. Once the roux is ready, pour the hot milk, stirring constantly, until you create a thick cream. So salt and set aside.
Fry garlic and olive oil in a non-stick pan, then toast the rice and bring to the boil. Pour hot vegetable broth from time to time. Remove the garlic clove. Melt the saffron in a cup of hot vegetable broth When the rice is “al dente”, remove from the heat, pour the saffron and stir in the butter and the grated parmigiano reggiano. Salt. Pour into a large serving dish to cool. You can leave it at room temperature or put it in the fridge.
When the rice is cold you can start creating the arancini. Wet your hands and take some rice.
Mash the center and insert a little ham, a little mozzarella and a teaspoon of béchamel. Close the rice ball on itself. Wrap each arancino in cling film, place it on a serving plate and, after arancini are all ready, let rest in the fridge for about an hour. After remove from the fridge, remove the cling film and dip one arancino at a time in the batter (prepared by mixing flour and water without creating lumps.) Roll in the breadcrumbs. Heat the oil to about 170/180° Celsius degrees and fry a few arancini at a time. So that the oil doesn’t get cold. Serve hot.