The true Calabrian rice croquettes, croquettes without breading. A typical Calabrian recipe for very tasty rice croquettes, crispy on the outside and very soft on the inside. A classic in Calabrian cuisine all year round, to be enjoyed hot or even cold, even on the beach in summer, but always present on special occasion menus, such as Sunday lunch. They are excellent for buffets, appetizers, and aperitifs, but I often make them during the week because they are simple to prepare and not very demanding. Just cook the rice in advance, even the night before, and in a moment we prepare them. The peculiarity of these croquettes is that the rice is not seasoned, but if you want, you can add a bit of butter when draining it. Once the rice has cooled, the classic ingredients used for making meatballs are added, but since these are not meatballs but croquettes, breadcrumbs are not added, not even for breading, as would be done for supplì or rice arancini. The result is excellent rice croquettes, soft inside and tasty, and crispy and golden on the outside, so good that even my little niece who is not even 2 years old already asks for the second croquette, once she finishes the first. If we want to make them even more delicious, we can also stuff them with provola cheese, or maybe with ‘nduja, in that case, it’s better to prepare a couple without it for the little niece, as ‘nduja is spicy and she might not like it. Let’s see how to prepare them.
The classic recipe involves frying in a pan, but they can be baked in the oven for a lighter version, and still good, or even air-fried, or in a traditional fryer. By the way, here’s the review of my De’ Longhi fryer, always a guarantee for fried foods.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 20 pieces
- Cooking methods: Frying, Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for 20 Calabrian Rice Croquettes
- 2 cups short-grain rice (or for arancini)
- 2 Eggs
- 2 tbsps Parmigiano Reggiano
- 1 tsp Pecorino
- to taste Parsley
- to taste Salt
- to taste Pepper
- as needed Vegetable oil
- to taste Provola cheese
Tools
- 1 Pot
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Pan
Preparation of Calabrian Rice Croquettes
Bring salted water to a boil to cook the rice. Use plenty of water and cook the rice until done in boiling water. Drain it using a colander and let it cool down without touching it.
Once the rice is cold, we can transfer it to a bowl. You can already use it for the recipe, or cover it with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge until the next day, so it will be perfect.
In the bowl with the rice, add the other ingredients, grated cheese, Parmigiano, but also a bit of Pecorino mixed with the Parmigiano is nice. Add the eggs, ground pepper, and chopped parsley. Mix the rice with your hands to combine the ingredients and separate the grains. It will take a few minutes, stop when the mixture is homogeneous and well compacted, you’ll notice it starts to bind.
With damp hands, form the rice croquettes. Between one croquette and another, continue to wash your hands so they remain clean, moist, and the rice does not stick to your hands. Give the croquettes an elongated shape, as per tradition.
If you want to make them more delicious, you can also stuff them with provola or smoked provola, ham, or ragù, or with ‘nduja. Just put some rice on the palm of your hand and press it down to create a cavity, where you can place the filling, then close it and give it an elongated shape. If you add stuffing or ‘nduja, fry them last, so that if any oil leaks from the ‘nduja, it won’t alter the taste of the croquettes without ‘nduja.
As you form them, place them on a wet tray so they don’t stick. Fry them in plenty of hot oil. Be careful, turn them only when they are at least golden on one side so they don’t break. Let them brown on the other side, then you can turn them back and forth until they are nicely browned. I recommend cooking a few at a time, in a narrow pot, so the cooking is more uniform, and less oil is needed if the pot is small. You can also fry them in a fryer, I often use my DE’LONGHI Fryer Rotofry F28311.W
It will take a few minutes to brown them nicely, so don’t rush and wait for the right cooking time. You will have perfect Calabrian rice croquettes, golden, crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside, with a truly extraordinary taste.
Also try the Calabrian potato meatballs, they are a true delight, and the eggplant meatballs, another Calabrian specialty.
Calabrian rice croquettes can be prepared in several stages, cooking the rice even the night before for the next day. In a second phase, you can prepare the mixture and the croquettes, and they can be fried in a third phase. You can also fry them and heat them up in the oven in a moment.
If you prefer, you can also cook them in the oven at 392°F for about 20-30 minutes.
If you want, you can also prepare a large quantity in advance to freeze them and always have them ready. Just freeze them on a tray, then put them in a bag. They cook from frozen, in very hot oil, with a lid, or even in the oven, maybe for a few more minutes.
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