Undoubtedly one of the world’s most renowned cuisines is the Italian, with its preparations full of tradition and history. One of the most emblematic are the Arancini balls, a preparation worth knowing to enjoy at home.
A Typical Italian Meal
Rice is a food present in virtually every cuisine around the world, as it is nutritious, easy to prepare, and can be combined with other foods for incredible results. In Europe it is a very popular product, mostly in Italy, where Risotto is sort of a signature dish of that country. Risotto is prepared with rice, mixed with other ingredients, such as Parmesan cheese, broth, wine and sometimes vegetables, meat or fish.
However, Risotto can be used to prepare another delicious recipe, the Italian Arancini rice balls. For this recipe it is necessary to have a quality rice, such as https://riceselect.com/product/arborio, and to enjoy its delicious flavor you can make the following recipe.
Ingredients
- Two tablespoons of olive oil.
- 0.5 ounces of unsalted butter.
- A finely chopped onion.
- A large clove of crushed garlic.
- 12.3 ounces of Arborio rice.
- 5 fl oz (150 ml) of dry white wine.
- 1 pint of hot stock (chicken or vegetable).
- 5.2 ounces of Parmesan cheese.
- A grated lemon.
- 5.2 ounces of minced-mouth mozzarella in several small pieces.
- Vegetable oil.
For the coating you’ll need:
- 5.2 ounces of common flour.
- 3 large eggs beaten.
- 5.2 ounces of breadcrumbs, like panko.
Method of preparation
- First, heat the oil and butter in a saucepan until a kind of foam is left.
- Add the chopped onion and a pinch of salt, fry for about 15 minutes until it is soft, then add the garlic and let cook for another minute.
- Add the rice and cook for approximately 1 more min., then pour in the white wine.
- Cook until the wine decreases by half. Then add half of the broth and let cook over low heat, always moving to absorb as much liquid as possible.
- Pour the other half of the cado with a chicharón as the rice absorbs it and until it is fully cooked, which can take 20 to 25 minutes.
- Add the Parmesan and lemon seasoned to taste, then spread the risotto on a tray, and let cool to room temperature.
- Take out the risotto in several portions, larger to a golf ball. Flatten a ball with your hand and place a piece of mozzarella and make a ball. Do the same with the other portions.
- Place flour, eggs, and bread in shallow, separate bowls. Dip the balls in the flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs, in that order.
- Pour enough vegetable oil in a saucepan to cover at least ¾ of the Arancini balls height, and heat up to 338° F.
- Place the balls in the oil in different batches and let cook for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are golden brown and melt through the center.
- Take out the balls and put them on a tray lined with a clean dish towel, and they’ll be ready to serve.
Arancini With Mushrooms And Thyme
Ingredients
- A cup of Arborio rice.
- 3 cups of chicken stock.
- A large egg.
- A cup of Parmesan cheese.
- Cup and a half of breadcrumbs.
- 3 tablespoons of butter.
- Half a cup of chopped onions.
- Half a cup of chopped mushrooms.
- A spoonful of fresh, chopped thyme.
- Basil leaves.
- A clove of garlic.
- A cup of marinara sauce.
- Vegetable oil.
- Salt.
Method of preparation
- Heat in a saucepan over medium-high heat the broth with the salt until it boils, when it does, add the rice, lower the temperature and let cook for about 20 minutes, until the rice is tender.
- While cooking the rice, sauté the onions with a tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat, until transparent.
- Then add the mushrooms, thyme and garlic, cooking for another two minutes.
- Combine with the cooked rice, adding parmesan, peas and another tablespoon of butter. Mix and let cool.
- Then add the beaten egg and stir with the rice, then form the balls and cover them with breadcrumbs.
- Refrigerate the balls for an hour or overnight.
- Heat the vegetable oil to about 350° F, fry the balls in batches until browned on all sides. Remove and place the balls on absorbent paper.
- You can serve them with basil and grated parmesan on top.
As you may have seen, preparing the Arancini balls is pretty much easy. Now you can enjoy this typical Italian dish at home.
