Arancini di riso – Rice Balls
For the stuffing
200 g ground pork
1 onion
30 ml extra virgin olive oil
100 ml dry white wine
30 g tomato paste
50 g shelled pea
60 g Pecorino primo sale (sweet and soft sheep’s milk cheese)
60 g caciocavallo cheese
deep frying peanut oil
1 Pinch of saffron
Per gli arancini
380 g Rice
200 g breadcrumbs
4 egg
50 g butter
80 g grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
salt and pepper
Italian “00” flour or all-purpose flour
1 whisked eggs bread crumbs
Boil the rice in a quart of boiling salted water with a pinch of saffron. Cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring continuously until all of the water has been absorbed.
Remove from the heat and, in a large bowl, mix in with the beaten eggs, the butter and the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
Allow to cool and meanwhile prepare stuffing.
In a saucepan over medium heat, add oil and meat sauce: mix it with the peas, salt and pepper and cook until sauce has reduced down by over half and is fairly dry.
Mix together the meat mixture, Pecorino primo sale (or Pecorino dolcecheese) and grated Caciocavallo cheese (or Parmesan cheese).
With moist, but not wet hands, form a 1 to 1½-inch ball of the rice mixture in the palm of one hand, and using the other thumb, make a depression as deep as the first joint of your thumb.
Place some of the meat mixture in the hole and cover with rice.
When all the balls are formed roll them in flour, then dip them in the beaten egg, followed by the breadcrumbs.
Fry the rice balls until brown and heated through, turning them as necessary, about 4 minutes.
Transfer the rice balls to paper towels to drain.
Season with salt and serve hot.