Italian Rice Recipes - Rice Balls with a Savory Filling (Arancini Siciliani) Recipe

Ingredients

• 225 g/8 oz/1 cup arborio rice

• 50 g/2 oz/1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

• 2 eggs, beaten

• 300 ml/1 1/4 cups passata (sieved tomatoes)

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 50 g/2 oz Mozzarella cheese, finely diced

• 50 g/2 oz cooked ham, finely diced

• Flour for dusting

• 50 g/2 oz/1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

• Oil for deep-frying

• 15 ml/1 tbsp chopped fresh basil

• 6 small basil sprigs

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Method:

1. Cook the rice in plenty of boiling salted water for 15 minutes. Drain and leave until cold.

2. Turn into a bowl and stir in the Parmesan cheese, eggs, 15 ml/1 tbsp of the passata and a little salt and pepper. Mix well.

3. Put the cheese and ham in a separate bowl with another 15 ml/1 tbsp of the passata and season lightly.

4. Divide the cold rice mixture into 12 portions. Using well floured hands, shape each into a ball. Make a hollow in the centre and add a small spoonful of the cheese and ham mixture.

5. Reshape into a ball, adding a little more rice if necessary. Repeat with each portion of rice. Roll each thickly in the breadcrumbs. Chill if time.

6. Deep-fry a few at a time until crisp and golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper.

7. Meanwhile, warm the remaining passata with the chopped basil and a little salt and pepper.

8. When all the arancini are cooked, spoon a little passata on to 6 serving plates. Place 2 arancini on each plate and top each with a basil sprig.