Golden and crunchy outside, soft and stringy inside: here is how to prepare the most famous of Sicily's delicious snacks.
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INGREDIENTS |
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Rice |
500 |
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g |
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Breadcrumbs |
150 |
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g |
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Butter |
50 |
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g |
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Eggs |
2 |
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n° |
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Grated Caciocavallo cheese |
60 |
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g |
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Shelled peas |
150 |
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g |
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Veal mince |
300 |
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g |
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Fresh Tuma (pecorino cheese) |
100 |
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g |
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Grated Caciocavallo cheese |
60 |
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g |
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Onion |
1 |
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n° |
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Tomato sauce |
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to taste |
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Extra virgin olive oil |
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to taste |
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Butter |
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to taste |
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Oil for frying |
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to taste |
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Salt |
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to taste |
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Pepper |
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to taste |
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Saffron |
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to taste |
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PREPARATION |
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| 1. |
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Boil the rice in salted boiling water for about 15 minutes. Drain and dress immediately with the beaten egg while the rice is still piping hot, along with the butter and Caciocavallo cheese. Leave to cool. |
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| 2. |
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Chop one onion finely and brown in a pan with oil and butter, Add the veal mince and tomato sauce; season to taste then cover with a lid and cook slowly for at least 40 minutes. Cook the peas separately in a little butter with a slice of onion. |
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| 3. |
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After leaving the meat and peas to cool, prepare the filling: mix the meat, a pinch of saffron, peas, diced Tuma cheese and grated Caciocavallo. |
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| 4. |
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With damp hands, take a handful of rice, put in a cupped hand, place a spoon of filling in the middle and cover with more rice; in this way, make round balls until all the rice and filling is used up. |
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| 5. |
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Roll the rice arancini in beaten egg and breadcrumbs, then fry in boiling oil. |
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| 6. |
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When they are an attractive golden colour, remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and place on kitchen paper to soak up any excess oil. Serve piping hot. |
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CHEF'S NOTE |
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DOP Caciocavallo cheese of Ragusa is one of the best Sicilian cheeses. Depending on its level of maturity, it can be sweet, tasty or very strong; for cooking it is best to use a Caciocavallo that has matured for over six months. Sicilian Tuma is a fresh and slightly salted pecorino. |
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Etna White is recommended for these dishes; it originates from the slopes of Europe's most famous volcano. A wine with a dry and harmonious aroma, a refined and fragrant flavour, it is the result of the unusual micro-climate of the area in which it is produced. |
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