Messina-style rice sfinci: the original recipe.
In Messina, rice is transformed into “fried gold” to honor the tradition of Saint Joseph and Father’s Day, enclosing all the warmth of family in a single bite.
The Messina rice sfinci are long golden sticks, crunchy on the outside and with a creamy rice center cooked in milk. Scented with orange and cinnamon, these typical fritters are distinguished by their tapered shape and rolled in sugar for an explosion of authentic Sicilian flavor.
Thought for you:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Rest time: 5 Hours
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking time: 1 Minute
- Portions: 8
- Cooking methods: Boiling, Frying
- Cuisine: Italian Regional
- Region: Sicily
- Seasonality: Saint Joseph, All seasons
- Energy 433.09 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 76.48 (g) of which sugars 21.27 (g)
- Proteins 10.04 (g)
- Fat 10.03 (g) of which saturated 3.44 (g)of which unsaturated 6.09 (g)
- Fibers 1.27 (g)
- Sodium 51.76 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 200 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 — Messina-style rice sfinci: the original recipe
These are all humble ingredients
- 2 cups Carnaroli rice
- 4 1/4 cups whole milk
- 1 cup (about 130 g) all-purpose flour (or rice flour)
- 6 tbsp granulated sugar ((about 80 g))
- 1 orange zest (organic)
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 sachet (about 2 tsp) baking powder
- as needed all-purpose flour (or rice flour)
- as needed granulated sugar
- 4 1/4 cups sunflower oil (for frying)
Messina-style rice sfinci: the original recipe
Tools
We need just a few things
- 2 Pots
- 2 Bowls
- 1 Paper towels
Steps
Let’s go to the kitchen to prepare the
To make the rice sfinci, first pour the milk, the rice, the grated orange zest (avoid the white pith), the salt and the cinnamon into a nonstick saucepan.
Cook everything over low heat for about 25 minutes.
or until the milk is absorbed and the rice is cooked.
If necessary, you can add a little more milk and continue cooking; the important thing is that at the end of cooking the milk is completely absorbed.
When the rice is cooked, remove it from the heat, discard the orange zest and add the sugar, the baking powder and the sifted flour to the mixture.
At this point spread the dough on a wide baking sheet to cool it quickly.
Let the mixture rest and, when completely cool, moisten your hands and shape tight, elongated “balls”.
Make cylinders about 4–4 3/4 inches long with a diameter of about 3/4 inch.
Dust the sfinci with flour and….
fry in abundant, very hot oil.
At 338°F until they become well golden and crunchy on the outside, keeping the rice center creamy.Drain on paper towels and roll them, still hot, in granulated sugar before they cool down.
Here are the Messina rice sfinci, the original recipe. Saint Joseph’s crunchy gold
Storage and tips
Messina-style rice sfinci: the original recipe
Eat them immediately after frying to fully enjoy their crunchiness. If you have leftovers, store them at room temperature in a paper container for a maximum of 12–24 hours, but keep in mind that the rice will tend to moisten the outer crust.
Avoid the refrigerator, as cold hardens the rice center and ruins the texture of the sugar.
To restore crispness, you can quickly reheat them in a convection oven at 302°F for a few minutes.
FAQ (Questions & Answers)
Messina-style rice sfinci: the original recipe
I am celiac — can I change the flour?
Yes, certainly — alongside the traditional ingredients I listed rice flour as an alternative.
Messina-style rice sfinci: the original recipe
