Italian Rice Recipes - Stuffed Rice Balls (Palini di Riso) Recipe

Ingredients

• 225 g/8 oz/1 cup risotto rice

• 1 egg, beaten

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• Oil for frying

• 350 g/12 oz/3 cups minced (ground) beef

• 15 ml/1 tbsp chopped fresh sage

• 2 hard-boiled (hard-cooked) eggs, chopped

• 75 g/3 oz/1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs

---

Method:

1. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and add the rice. Cook for 15 minutes until just soft. Drain and pour into a large bowl.

2. Beat in half the egg and season with salt and pepper. Heat 15 ml/1 tbsp of the oil and fry (sauté) the meat for 5 minutes, stirring.

3. Add the chopped sage and hard­boiled eggs. Season with salt and pepper and allow to cool a little.

4. Take spoonfuls of the meat mixture and form into round balls. Cover the meat thoroughly with rice and form into balls.

5. Brush with beaten egg and roll in the breadcrumbs. Chill.

6. Deep fry until crisp and brown in hot oil. Drain on kitchen paper and serve at once.