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Prep Time: 55 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes |
Ready In: 85 Minutes Servings: 4 |
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We recently spent 2 weeks on Sicily - 1 in a 15th century renovated winery on the slopes of Mt. Etna, and 1 on the north coast, overlooking a Med. type scene. Earlier we had been invited to dinner with the family of a new friend, where all the women gathered to teach us how to make Arancini !! This recipe is from a book I bought there - Fragrances and Flavors of Sicilian Cuisine , since no one in the group had sufficient common language skills to accurately copy their recipe. It IS labor intensive - but just wonderful ! I copied the measurements as listed and did not attempt to convert. Ingredients:
300 g risotto rice |
150 g peas, shelled |
150 g ground beef |
2 firm ripe tomatoes |
3 eggs |
1 -2 onion |
50 g provolone cheese cubes |
50 g mozzarella cheese |
4 tablespoons breadcrumbs |
1 liter meat stock |
80 g butter |
6 ounces dry white wine |
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil |
80 g parmesan cheese, grated |
peanut oil (for frying) |
salt and pepper |
Directions:
1. Scald tomatoes in boiling water, drain, peel, and seed them. 2. Chop pulp. 3. Chop onions finely. 4. Dice provolone and mozzerella. 5. Place 2 Tbsp oil in pan, add 1/2 chopped onion and let it sweat without browning. 6. Add ground beef and let it brown through. 7. Add 3 ounces white wine and let evaporate on high heat. 8. Flavor with a pinch of salt and pepper. 9. Cover pan and cook on medium heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. 10. Place remaining oil in another pan with 1/2 cup chopped onion and let it sweat without browning. 11. Add peas and cook for 2-3 minutes. 12. Flavor with salt and pepper. 13. Pour in a ladle of water and allow to cook on medium heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. 14. Remove mixture from heat, pour in a bowl and allow to cool. 15. Add cooked meat. chopped provolone, and mozzarella cheeses, and chopped tomatoes. 16. Place 30 g butter in a pot, add remaining chopped onion and let it sweat without browning. 17. Add rice, cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring with wooden spoon. 18. Pour in remaining white wine, and let it evaporate on high heat. 19. Add stock a little at a time, cooking on medium heat for 10-15 miutes, stirring occasionally. 20. Take risotto off heat and add remaining butter, grated parmesan cheese, 2 eggs, and a pinch of salt. 21. Stir with wooden spoon til ingredients are perfectly mixed. 22. Place rice in a wide dish and allow to cool slightly. 23. To prepare arancini balls, roll rice into many little balls the size of a mandarin. 24. Make a hole in the center of each ball and stuff with a spoonful of the pea mixture. 25. Plug the hole with some rice. 26. Prepare 2 bowls, one with remaining egg, slightly beaten, and a pinch of salt, the other with the breadcrumbs. 27. Roll rice balls first in egg, then in breadcrumbs. 28. Heat plenty of peanut oil in a pan and drop arancini balls, a few at a time. 29. When they turn an even golden color, drain and dry them on paper towels. 30. Serve hot. |
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