Recipe: Arancini (Risotto Balls) Collection (4)

The risotto balls with which I am familiar are from Sicily and are called arancini (little oranges) because that's what they supposedly look like. They are very tasty when served freshly made.

Here's a collection of 4 arancini recipes:

ARANCINI
Makes about 7 dozen

"At parties catered by Jackson and Company in Houston, these deep-fried balls of risotto, known as arancini, or little oranges, in Italy, are arranged on a bed of thinly sliced prosciutto and served garnished with bundles of fresh thyme and rosemary."

FOR THE RISOTTO:
5 1/2 cups chicken stock or 4 cups canned broth mixed with 1 1/2 cups hot water
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 1/4 cups arborio rice (about 1 pound)
3/4 cup dry white wine
4 ounces prosciutto, cut into 1/4 -inch dice
1 cup frozen baby peas
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme
1/4 cup heavy (whipping) cream
2 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 7 ounces), divided use
Salt and freshly ground pepper
FOR THE RICE BALLS:
1 cup all-purpose flour
5 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups plain dry bread crumbs
1 quart vegetable oil, for deep-frying

TO MAKE THE RISOTTO:
In a medium saucepan, heat the chicken stock until just boiling; keep warm.

Melt the butter in a large nonreactive saucepan. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until absorbed, about 3 minutes.

Add 1/2 cup of the hot chicken stock to the rice and stir constantly over moderate heat until the liquid is completely absorbed, about 3 minutes. Continue adding the stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until absorbed before adding more. When half of the stock has been added, stir in the prosciutto, peas, rosemary and thyme and continue cooking. The rice is done when it's tender but still slightly firm to the bite. Remove from the heat, stir in the cream and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan and season with salt and pepper.

Spread the risotto on a baking sheet and let cool. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, for at least 2 hours or up to 1 day.

WHEN READY TO MAKE THE RICE BALLS:
Roll the risotto into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in the flour, then dip in the beaten eggs and coat with the bread crumbs.

TO MAKE AHEAD:
The risotto balls can be prepared to this point and frozen for up to 1 month; spread them on a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze until firm, then store in tightly sealed plastic bags. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before frying.

WHEN READY TO FRY THE RICE BALLS:
In a deep fryer fitted with a basket, heat 4 inches of vegetable oil to 360 degrees F. Working in batches of 8, fry the risotto balls until golden, about 45 seconds; if they have been frozen, fry for about 4 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

While hot, roll the risotto balls in the remaining 2 cups Parmesan to lightly coat them. Transfer to platters and serve immediately.

TO HOLD (FOR SERVING):
The arancini can be fried up to 1 hour ahead; let stand at room temperature. Rewarm in a 375 degree F oven.

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ARANCINI (Rice Balls)

FOR THE MEAT/SAUCE MIXTURE:
1 lb. ground beef
1 quart (4 cups) spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup peas
FOR THE RICE:
11 cups water
2 lbs. uncooked long grain rice
1 tsp. salt
2 cups milk (more, if needed)
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter or margarine
6 eggs
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
FOR THE RICE BALLS:
Mozzarella cheese cut into 1/2 inch chunks
Egg white (for coating balls)
3 cups plain dry bread crumbs
Oil to deep fry

TO MAKE THE MEAT/SAUCE MIXTURE:
Brown ground beef. Strain grease. Add to prepared spaghetti sauce and add peas. Set aside.

TO PREPARE THE RICE MIXTURE:
Bring water, rice and salt to boil. Cover and simmer 8-10 minutes. Strain. Return rice to pan and add milk. Continue to boil on low flame until rice absorbs milk and turns pasty. Add butter, egg yolks and Romano cheese and stir until it is all absorbed. Spread rice onto cookie sheet until cool.

TO MAKE THE RICE BALLS:
Form bottom half of rice ball with some rice in palm of hand. Spoon meat/sauce mixture into bottom half and add mozzarella cheese. Form top half of ball. Dip in egg whites and bread crumbs. Deep fry. Can be reheated in 350-degree oven for 1/2 hour or microwaved.

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SICILIAN RICE BALLS (ARANCINI)
Makes 8 servings

1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
3 large eggs, divided use
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
3 Tbsp finely minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup tomato sauce (homemade if you have it), divided use
1/4 cup diced mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup diced prosciutto (ham)
2 cups fresh bread crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste
Peanut oil for deep frying

Bring 2 1/2 cups water to boil, in a saucepan, and add rice. Cook 15 minutes, drain and transfer to a bowl. Beat one egg and add to rice, along with Romano cheese, parsley 2 tbsp tomato sauce, salt and pepper; mix well. Chill in refrigerator 15 minutes.

In another bowl mix mozzarella, prosciutto and remaining tomato sauce; set aside.

Flour hands and divide rice into 8 portions and roll into a ball about the size of a small orange. Poke a hole in the ball with your finger and put about 1 1/2 tbsp of the mozzarella mixture into the hole. Reshape and smooth rice ball to close hole.

Beat remaining eggs in a shallow bowl and spread bread crumbs out on a plate. Roll rice ball in egg, coating well, then in bread crumbs and coat evenly. Let sit for 45 minutes.

In a heavy pan, or deep fryer, heat oil to 375 degrees F. Fry rice balls until golden. Drain on paper towel and serve hot.

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ARANCINI AI FUNGHI (RICE BALLS WITH MUSHROOMS)
Makes 4 servings

FOR THE MUSHROOM FILLING:
1/3 cup unsalted butter, divided use
1 clove garlic, minced
6 ounces champignon-type cultivated mushrooms, sliced
1 ounce dried porcini (this is about a packed quarter cup), steeped in just enough boiling water to over for 5 minutes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons minced parsley
FOR THE RICE:
1 1/2 cups uncooked rice
Lightly salted water (to cover rice)
1 cup grated Parmigiano (freshly grated, not from a can)
4 eggs, divided use
FOR THE RICE BALLS
Cooked peas (optional)
Flour
Bread crumbs
Oil for frying
Salt & Pepper to taste

TO MAKE THE MUSHROOM FILLING:
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and saute the garlic; as soon as it begins to color add the champignons, and while they're beginning to simmer remove the porcini from the water (reserve the liquid) and coarsely chop them. Add them to the pot too; if you want a very mushroomy filling, strain the soaking liquid and add it to the pan too. Simmer the mushrooms until the liquid is much reduced, then stir in the tomato paste and minced parsley and remove the filling from the fire.

TO PREPARE THE RICE:
Boil the rice until cooked in lightly salted water. Drain the rice and stir in the remaining butter and grated cheese. Lightly beat two of the eggs and stir them in too. Once the rice mixture and the filling have cooled, prepare the rice balls.

TO MAKE THE RICE BALLS:
Once the rice mixture and the filling have cooled, lightly beat the remaining 2 eggs and season them with salt and pepper. Then, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Next, make the first arancino by taking two small handfuls of rice and shaping them into hollow hemispheres Fill the hollows with some of the meat, and some of the peas (peas were listed in the instructions but not in the ingredients - cooked peas may be added, if desired), and mold the two halves together to obtain a smooth-sided rice ball about the size of a small orange (1 1/2 - 2 inches in diameter). Roll the arancino in flour, dredge it in the beaten egg, roll it well in the breadcrumbs, and fry it in abundant hot oil. While it's cooking begin with the next, and when it has become a golden brown drain it on absorbent paper. When you have finished frying your arancini, heat them through in the oven for five minutes, and serve them piping hot.