Arancini (Italian Rice Balls)
"Arancini is Italian for Orange, to describe how these rice balls are shaped. Serve with your favorite spaghetti or marinara sauce, with a handful of frozen peas mixed in :)"
photo by CoExGal
- Ready In:
- 1hr 5mins
- Ingredients:
- 8
- Yields:
-
16 Rice balls
- Serves:
- 4-6
ingredients
- 2 cups long-grain rice, uncooked
- 1 quart chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons butter or 3 tablespoons margarine, softened
- 5 eggs, separated
- 1 1⁄2 cups grated parmesan cheese
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut in 16 pieces
- 2 cups dried breadcrumbs
- 1 cup cooking oil
directions
- In large saucepan, combine rice, broth, and butter or margarine. Bring to a boil, stir to blend. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool. Stir in egg yolks and parmesan.
- In small bowl, beat egg whites until frothy; set aside.
- Cover and freeze rice mixture for 15 minutes to make them firmer to handle; roll them with your hands to form balls. Push a small cube of mozzarella into center of each arancini, lightly pressing to seal each ball. Roll each arancini in beaten egg whites, then coat with bread crumbs.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees (about 200 degrees Celsius). Heat oil in heavy skillet. Cook 8 rice balls at a time, about 4-5 minutes, turning frequently, to brown evenly. Place on baking sheet; bake for 10 minutes.
- Serve with your favorite spaghetti sauce, to which you have added 3/4 cup to 1 cup of frozen green peas, uncooked.
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Reviews
-
It was a good first start, but a bit bland, even with a hearty sauce. For second time, I spiced it up a bit, adding an Italian blend of seasoning to the rice. I also found that I liked it better when I used grated mozzarella and hand pressed a little piece to fold into the center. It broke down, a bit, when baked, and could be better distributed in several bites.
Tweaks
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