The recipe we’ll prepare today is that of Sicilian ARANCINE, also called butter Arancine.
They are small (not so small!) rice timbales similar in appearance to supplì, filled with a stuffing of cooked ham, béchamel and mozzarella.
The obvious question arises: so why are they called Arancine al Burro if there is ham and cheese in the filling? The answer is simpler than one might expect.
When Arancine (or Arancini) were invented, only a little piece of butter was put inside to make the rice softer; over time the filling became richer but the name remained unchanged.
There is no place in Sicily that doesn’t sell Arancine: from town to town they change in size, shape and filling — believe it or not today there are more than 100 different types of this delicious street food!
Today we’ll see together how to prepare the rice and how to shape the arancine once the filling is inserted so they don’t open while cooking, how to bread them and finally how to fry them.
A simple preparation — the only difficulty is the time required and a little manual skill — but don’t worry: if you follow me I’ll explain step by step how to proceed to prepare the best Arancini, or rather the best Sicilian rice Arancine you’ve ever eaten.
I almost forgot… among the thousand recipes that exist (practically every Sicilian family has its own), the one I present today was handed down to me by my authentic Sicilian grandmother who, as she used to say, moved north for love!
If you love Sicilian cuisine try these recipes too
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
- Cooking time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: about 10
- Cooking methods: Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 1,159.33 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 85.91 (g) of which sugars 3.17 (g)
- Proteins 22.72 (g)
- Fat 81.15 (g) of which saturated 20.92 (g)of which unsaturated 56.23 (g)
- Fibers 2.62 (g)
- Sodium 952.56 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 150 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups Riso Roma rice
- 4 2/3 cups vegetable broth
- 4 tbsp butter
- 2 sachets saffron
- 7 oz cooked ham (diced)
- black pepper (ground)
- 7 oz mozzarella (or scamorza)
- 4 tbsp béchamel (thick)
- 2 cups breadcrumbs
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (00)
- 2 eggs
- 2/3 cup water
- 2 cups peanut oil (for frying)
Tools
- Frying pan
- Pot
- Whisk
- Mold
Steps
Heat the broth in a pot together with the butter and the saffron. When it reaches a boil add the rice, lower the heat and cook until all the broth has been absorbed. Transfer the cooked rice to a bowl because it must be completely cold when you use it.
Prepare the béchamel (for the recipe see HERE) which, for arancine, must have a thick consistency. Once ready let it cool because, like the rice, it must be cold to act as a binder for the ham and cheese filling.
Cut the ham and cheese into cubes, preferably the same size, and put them in a bowl. Add a couple of tablespoons of béchamel and a pinch of pepper (optional) and mix to combine everything.
If you want to make life easier I recommend buying Arancine molds which will make the task a piece of cake. Actually you only need a bit of patience and it’s absolutely not difficult to shape them with your hands.
Moisten the palms of your hands so the rice doesn’t stick, take two generous tablespoons of previously cooked rice and press the center to create a cavity. Insert a tablespoon of filling and then close the arancina over itself. If necessary take a little more rice. Proceed in the same way until the ingredients are used up.
In a bowl prepare the batter by mixing flour, water and eggs with a whisk; it should have a semi-liquid consistency. In a separate plate put the breadcrumbs. Dip the arancine first in the bowl with the batter and then in the breadcrumbs.
Pour the oil into a deep pan and bring it to temperature (about 356°–374° F). As soon as the oil is hot start frying the arancine a few at a time otherwise the oil temperature will drop too much. When the arancine have the typical golden color you can drain them and place them on a plate lined with paper towels.
Now you can enjoy the Sicilian butter Arancine; I only recommend waiting a couple of minutes after frying so the inside isn’t scalding hot.
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NOTES
SHAPE OF THE ARANCINE According to tradition Sicilian butter arancine have an elongated shape to distinguish them from ragù arancine which instead are spherical. I preferred to give them a round shape because it’s easier for me to form them by hand.
RICE I used Riso Roma but you can also use Carnaroli.
CHEESE I used mozzarella in my arancine but you can substitute it with scamorza, caciocavallo or provola.
BATTER My grandmother made the batter by also adding eggs to the water and flour mixture but if you prefer you can omit them.
STORAGE
Uncooked butter Arancine can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container or alternatively frozen in freezer bags for up to 1 month. Once cooked they are recommended to be eaten immediately, as with any fried food they would lose their crispness.
Raw arancine can be kept in the fridge for 2-3 days covered with a cloth. Alternatively you can wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze them in the freezer.
