Arancini - Sicilian Street Food

2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29

Street food in Sicily is an integral part of the culture of this hot island, which has a special place in the life of Sicilians and attracts interested tourists.

If you are lucky enough to walk the streets of Palermo or Catania, do not miss the opportunity to try the rice balls arancini, the most popular street food in Sicily.

The dish is served in restaurants and cafes as an original Sicilian appetizer. If you can't try them in the country, you can learn to cook them at home.

Arancini, got its name from the round shape and orange color, which is obtained by frying. Externally, rice balls with a diameter of 8-10 centimeters really look like arancini - translated from Italian small oranges.

You can buy arancini at the market or on street stalls, and if you are in Palermo, don't forget to visit Ke Palle - a shop of signing arancini!

This is a rice dish, and minced meat with spices is used as a traditional filling. Sometimes green peas, mozzarella and tomato sauce are added. The balls can be filled with absolutely any ingredients: pistachios with white sauce, ham, salmon, eggplant, mushrooms and even chocolate. Before frying, they are rolled in breadcrumbs, and saffron is used to obtain the characteristic orange hue.

According to one version the recipe for arancini has been brought in Sicily by the Arabs, for whom rice dishes with meat and spices are a familiar food. It is believed that breading began to be used in the time of Federico II, who took bread with him when he went hunting or traveling. Crispyness extends the shelf life of rice and toppings, which facilitates the transportation of food in this form.

Arancini are in demand not only in Sicily, but throughout Italy. According to legend, outside the country for the first time learned about the crunchy rice balls with different fillings from the novels of the Italian writer and admirer of this dish Andrea Calogero Camilleri. One of his works is even called Arancini Montalbano.

In different parts of Italy you can try arancini of different sizes and shapes (usually round or pear-shaped). Interestingly, mozzarella-filled balls are called arancini di riso al telefono because melted cheese extends to your mouth like a telephone wire.

And on the feast of Saint Lucia (every year on December 13), when flour food is banned in Sicily, instead of dishes with flour, arancini of all sizes, types and shapes are served.

There are many options for preparing this dish. We will share a recipe that you can improve and supplement according to your own taste, as well as cooking secrets.

You need it for the perfect arrangements special rice. Take rice for risotto or sushi. If such cereals are not available to you, you can deal with rice with a high starch content, the most important thing is not to use steamed rice.

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Recipes usually state quite expensive and rare cheeses, so feel free to pick up hard cheese instead.

Choose from available eggs, breadcrumbs and filling ingredients. Mozzarella is the most popular filling option, but for a more satisfying dish, add ham to the cheese. Make arancini with minced meat and green peas or chicken and mashed potatoes for lunch or dinner.

Necessary products:

Rice husk:

saffron - 1 pinch;

oil - 15 g;

rice - 250 g;

water - 600 ml;

salt - 1 pinch;

cheese - 50 g hard.

Breading:

bread crumbs - 1 tsp;

flour - 100 g;

water - 150 ml;

salt - 1 pinch.

Filling:

onions - 1/4 pc.;

vegetable oil - 2 tablespoons;

minced pork - 50 g or beef;

red wine - 25 ml dry;

tomatoes - 100 g;

green peas - 50 g;

cheese - 25 g hard;

salt to taste;

black pepper - to taste.

Method of preparation:

Photo: Food for the Soul

Pour 100 ml of water into the saffron. Grate the cheese on a fine grater. Pour salted cold water over the rice (1: 2), place on the stove. Once it boils, reduce the heat to a minimum, cook another 10-12 minutes, covered.

Pour saffron water into almost boiled rice and stir, simmer for another 5-7 minutes under the lid. Remove from heat and add oil, check until completely dissolved. Add the grated cheese and stir again.

Spread the rice thinly on a large plate, preferably flat. Most of it is ready, it will make 5-7 balls.

Prepare the filling. Finely chop the onion and fry in vegetable oil until golden brown. Add minced meat, fry until soft. Then pour 25 ml of dry red wine and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Cut the tomatoes into small cubes, fry in vegetable oil along with green peas (you can take fresh, canned or frozen). Combine vegetables with minced meat, cheese and spices.

Prepare the breading. Pour flour into a bowl, add salt, water. Knead a smooth dough so that no lumps remain. Place the bread crumbs on a flat plate.

Put 2 tablespoons on one palm. rice mass, lightly press, place the filling in the middle, form a ball or cone. Do not wet your hands with water before forming the balls, the rice should be sticky. Dip the ball first into the dough, then into the crumbs.

It is better to take frying oil, which is designed for high temperatures. Heat it to 200 degrees, observe the temperature regime. If the fat is not heated enough, then the balls will absorb too much of it, and if it overheats, they will burn on top and will not fry inside.

Dip the oranges in the boiling oil with a spoon. Fry in portions so that the balls do not stick. After 3-4 minutes, when a golden-brown crust is formed.

Take it out like this prepared arancini and place them on a paper towel - it will absorb the excess oil.

Serve this traditional Sicilian dish (and Italian cuisine in general) hot, with tomato sauce. Enjoy your meal!