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    Rice · Recipe · Sicily · Reference page

    Arancini

    arancini / arancine (singular arancina, arancino)

    Sicilian rice balls the size of an orange, filled with a slow-cooked meat and pea ragù and a cube of cheese, coated in breadcrumbs and deep-fried. This recipe by Silvana Gigliotti, adapted by Silvia Colloca, makes 16 and is spread over two days.

    Golden pear-shaped arancini on a white plate,with cut halves showing a thick rice layer around meat ragu,green peas and cheese.
    Editorial illustration of the documented recipe; not a photograph of a kitchen-tested result.
    Servings
    16
    Preparation
    1 h
    Cooking
    3 h
    Resting
    12 h
    Total
    16 h
    Difficulty
    Involved

    Equipment

    • Large saucepan for the rice; colander; large tray
    • Large frying pan with a lid for the ragù
    • Deep saucepan for frying, thermometer, slotted spoon, kitchen paper
    Servings16

    Ingredients

    • Rice

    • Ragù

    • Filling and coating

    Shopping list

    Method

    1. Day one: bring a large pan of lightly salted water to the boil, add the rice and simmer, stirring regularly, until cooked through. Drain well, spread on a large tray to cool completely, cover and refrigerate overnight.

      Why Cold, dry rice holds its shape. The source gives no time; about 15 minutes is our estimate for risotto rice.

      Timer · 15 min15:00

    2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Stir the onion for 1 minute, add the garlic and keep stirring so it does not burn. Add the mince and cook, breaking it up, for 2–3 minutes until browned.

    3. Add the peas, season, and pour in the wine. Simmer 1–2 minutes, then add the passata and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook on low heat, stirring now and then, for 2–3 hours until thick. Cool, then refrigerate overnight.

      Why A thick, cold sauce stays inside the ball; a wet one leaks and makes the arancini burst.

      Timer · 2 h 30150:00

    4. Day two: mix the cold rice with the eggs, parmesan and parsley.

    5. With wet hands, shape the rice into rounds the size of a tennis ball. Press a hollow in the middle, add 1–2 cubes of scamorza and 1–2 teaspoons of the cold ragù, close with a little extra rice and mould into a pear shape. Roll in breadcrumbs.

      Why Sicilian cooks agree the ball must be tight, so it does not break open in the oil.

    6. Heat the oil in a deep saucepan to about 170 °C; it must be deep enough to cover the arancini. Fry in batches for 4–5 minutes until deep golden. Drain on kitchen paper, sprinkle with salt and serve.

      Timer · 5 min5:00

    To drink & serve with

    • Etna

      Editorial suggestion: a red or white from Etna.

    Substitutions

    • Scamorza → Mozzarella, well drained, or caciocavallo (editorial suggestion).
    • Pork and veal mince → Beef mince; or a ham and cheese filling, the second classic named by chef Enzo Oliveri.

    Common mistakes

    • Using warm rice or warm sauce: the balls are soft and split in the oil.
    • Frying in oil that is too cool: the crust soaks up fat; too hot and the centre stays cold.
    • Overfilling: the filling breaks through the rice.

    Storage & reheating

    Best hot from the oil. Leftovers: cool within an hour, refrigerate, eat within a day and reheat once, until steaming hot right through (UK FSA).

    Safety

    Contains gluten (breadcrumbs), egg, milk and sulphites (wine). The cooked rice must be cooled quickly and refrigerated, ideally within an hour, and used within a day (UK FSA). Hot oil: never leave the pan, and keep children away.

    Allergens

    Gluten · Egg · Milk · Sulphites

    Check labels: stock, bacon and sauces can contain further allergens.

    Little oranges for breakfast

    The name comes from the shape and colour: Sicilian-born cook Rosa Mitchell told SBS Food that traditional arancini are "the size of an orange, because that's what arancini means". Smaller balls of plain risotto, she says, are rice balls or supplì, not arancini.

    In Sicily they are street food at any hour, and chef Enzo Oliveri calls the arancina, with an espresso, "the most popular breakfast in Sicily". The classic filling is ragù and peas, then ham and cheese, and bars use different shapes, a ball or a round-bottomed cone, to tell the fillings apart. Oliveri adds that 13 December, Saint Lucia's day, is "an arancina day" in parts of the island.

    [1]

    Cold rice, cold sauce, tight balls

    This recipe takes two days. The rice is boiled like pasta, drained and chilled overnight; the ragù simmers for two to three hours and is chilled too. Only then is the rice bound with egg and parmesan and shaped around a cube of scamorza and a spoonful of cold sauce.

    The chefs SBS spoke to agree on the main point: the ball must be tight so it does not break open in the oil. The arancini fry fully submerged at about 170 °C for 4–5 minutes.

    [2][1]

    How it connects

    Place

    • origin Sicily In preparation

    Rice

    Wine region

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