fillings

ragù

1 lb lean ground beef

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

¾ cup finely chopped onion, carrot and celery

ground hot pepper

½ cup frozen peas 

2 cups tomato passata (plain tomato sauce)

 

and / or

 

prosciutto e mozzaerlla con besciamella .. ham and mozzarella with béchamel

3.5 cups whole milk, 4 Tbs flour, 4 Tbs olive oil, salt, pepper and nutmeg

baked ham 

mozzarella (a supermarket version works well here as opposed to the super soft, milky buffalo mozzarella which has too much liquid)  

​

rice

at least 3 ½ cups vegetable broth   

salt

6 Tbs or so extra virgin olive oil

6 Tbs butter

2 lb arborio, carnaroli or other short grain rice

8 saffron threads

½ cup grated parmigiano

2 eggs, lightly beaten

 

for frying

1 ½ cup fine, plain breadcrumbs (with no flavorings)

oil for deep-fat frying (such as expeller pressed sunflower oil .. or olive oil which is adds lots of flavor as well as antioxidants but it kind of breaks the bank in this instance) 

 

Prepare the ragù at least one day before you make the arancine so it will have time to set. Put the olive oil and the vegetables in a medium saucepan and sauté  until they're soft and begin taking on color. Add hot pepper to taste, add the ground beef and sauté to brown, stir in the peas and the plain tomato sauce and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes until the liquid reduces and the sauce is quite thick. Reserve in the fridge.

​

To make the ham and mozzarella filling chop both the ham and mozzarella into chunky pieces, mix them together and then blend in enough of a thick béchamel so that it all holds together. For the béchamel, let the milk come to a boil and keep it warm. In a heavy bottomed sauce pan over medium-high heat warm the olive oil with the seasonings. When the oil is hot add the flour, mix well, and let cook until for several minutes until the flour is thick and bubbling. Add the hot milk and whisk slowly but continuously until the mixture is quite thick (usually once it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon is thick enough but for this recipe it should stay on the heat a bit longer). 

 

To make the rice, bring the broth to a boil and salt to taste. Add the olive oil and rice to a high sided pan and toast the rice over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes. Stir in the broth by the ladleful, waiting until the liquid is almost absorbed each before adding the next ladleful. At the 10 minute mark add the saffron. Continue to add the broth and stir until the risotto is smooth and creamy but not mushy, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and parmigiano. Reserve the rice in the fridge (even overnight) or pour it into a large bowl and set it in a cold water bath. Stir in the eggs as soon as the rice is cool enough that the eggs don't scramble. The rice should be cold when you form the arancine.

 

To form the arancine wet your hands with water and pat some of the rice into your cupped hand to make a concave form. Put about 1 Tbs of ragù (or a big pinch of the ham/mozzarella/béchamel mix) into the cavity and cover with more rice shaping it to make a ball the size of a small orange (arancina) about 2.5 inches in diameter and roll through the breadcrumbs.

 

Heat 3 -  3½ inches of oil in a deep fryer or casserole to about 325°F.  Fry the rice balls, turning them in the hot oil until they are golden brown and crispy all the way around. To test doneness, insert a metal skewer or a thin knife into the center, remove it and if it feels warm to the touch, the arancina cooked. Drain on paper towels, and serve immediately. 

 

When you make arancine with different fillings, so you can tell them apart make them in different shapes: arancine with ragu are usually round, other flavorings are oval or ice cream cone format. 

​

​

​

 

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

​